


Take a sad song and make it better

by yuni3010



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Music, Alternative Lifestyles, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BLACKPINK!Members, F/M, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Musician Chanyeol, One-Sided!Krisoo, Secretary Baekhyun, Slight!Sebaek, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-01-07 11:47:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12232209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuni3010/pseuds/yuni3010
Summary: They used to be best friends, a pair of whimsical characters to be reckoned, until Park Chanyeol decided to elope with Byun Baekhyun's sister, Chaeyoung. Seven years later, Chanyeol is back as the vocalist and main guitarist of well-known band, The Phoenix's Shadow. His return, however, only means trouble for Baekhyun, who is not completely over his first love.





	1. I want to recognize your beauty is not just a mask

**Author's Note:**

> Beware this was originally writen with characters from Owari no Seraph, but I had no inspiration to keep the story about them any longer. I re-wrote it as a Chanbaek fic... I apologize beforehand if you see a name you don't recognize. As a curious fact, you should know that the first version of this fic was my first work ever published in AO3, hence I'm feeling a bit nostalgic about re-publishing it.  
> Moving on, I'll stick to my words about the plot: please excuse any cringe-worthy clichés. I'm quite excited about finishing this, though. Imagine Chanyeol on stage, with an acoustic guitar hanging from his shoulders, performing a song like Yellow to a crammed arena full of white lights, with Baekhyun admist the crowd-that's the kind of picture that inspired this fic. I hope you enjoy reading it!

It began like a normal day.

He was installed outside Jennie’s office, the Chief Executive of Yenkkoch Corp., settled behind his pristine and lofty desk. When they arrived, he was reviewing his boss’ scheduled meetings and last-minute appointments registered in the itinerary for the subsequent week.

It was supposed to be that time of the day when he executed his crafty techniques in supervision, pestering numerous assistants and fellow coworkers with endless calls and urgent emails, jotting down in colorful post-ins every word said during carefully assembled tête-à-têtes and printing electronic messages that ought to be beneficial. He should be attaching and arraying by day and hour all gathered information on his personal agenda, keeping it close in case of emergency. He should be confirming attendances, necessities, implements and availability—carefully distributing all the logistical and methodical intelligence of the company—, and mustering additional data and warnings to potential complications he would have to be prepared to deal in the worst scenarios (otherwise known as red code: an inept is nearby and Jennie better not discover their incompetence). Everything should transpire as his boss expected it: with spotless, detailed and sharp calculation.

It was no secret that Baekhyun was rather meticulous while backing up his reports and developing his outlines. He was considerably severe with himself; he liked simplicity and efficacy, and often iterated each one of his movements so he could corroborate that every feature had been considered and every factor had been analyzed, and check as well if every disadvantage had been overpowered and every scam had been properly prevented—he would not forgive a hoodwink caused by a rookie mistake. Therefore, he usually disbursed his lunch hour to finish last touches, to ratify everything was going according to the plan. He had to perform accordingly or Jennie would be insufferable—please, do not misunderstand: she was an amazing woman, but had received the technological enterprise at a young age and had enormous shoes to replace.

Since it was Friday and he reinforced a strict policy of no-work during weekends, as soon as he arrived that morning at the lobby and greeted everyone, he was adamant on closing any sloppy dispatch and resuming the reminders in his to-do-list; he was pursuing going home earlier to spend his spare time on watching a movie marathon featuring one of his favorites actresses, Im Yoona. However, this became mere wishful thinking, for the reason that, no longer after Jennie had gone out for lunch, just when Baekhyun had taken out his home-cooked bento and personal agenda to work on, two small silhouettes exited the executive elevator and appeared to jeopardize his peaceful afternoon.

They were petite, pretty and perilous. Dark hair, chocolate eyes, fairy skin. Innocent appearances and sweet smiles that could fool anyone. Their names were Jisoo and Kyungsoo, and they were his boss’ youngest siblings... well, half-siblings. Consequently, his youngest sister and brother as well, since he was an adopted orphan. A charity case meant for good publicity, as a lot of people enjoyed to call it.

It did not matter that they were wearing their private school uniform—tailored pants for him and a chest-patterned skirt for her, white dress-shirts and a silky ribbons hanging around their necks, plus her particular addition of black stockings and his navy knitted cardigan—nor that they were most likely skipping classes. What mattered was that they were clearly meaning to interrupt Baekhyun’s worktime.

As shrewd as he was, he effortlessly distinguished the brutal resolve in Jisoo’s irises; whatever she desired was enough to ignite such a pronounced fervor in her usually tranquil semblance, and the imminent discussion was definitively going to be long. Kyungsoo simply accompanied her, neutral face revealing he was used to her quirks.

That discouraged Baekhyun greatly; he would undoubtedly have to stay late and accept Oh Sehun’s lift to his apartment again—which could never end well, as Sehun, Jennie’s right hand and unofficial bodyguard, was persistent on spending the night at his place even when Baekhyun constantly denied him.

He tapped his kneecap in taciturn motions.

“The Phoenix Shadow’s concert... I didn’t even know you were a fan of their music, Ji.”

In front of him a thin and large, pink-cased cellphone was firmly hold. The refulgent touch-screen showed a virtual advertisement of an approaching concert of the well-known rock band (Baekhyun still thought was a bit ambiguous and neglecting description of their gender—they were like an outlandish yet equilibrated assortment of Muse, Coldplay and Queen). Their recognition began to grasp a worldwide level a couple of years back, and they had been moving huge crowds everywhere since then. Their lyrics were entitled as prophecies of apocalyptical fantasies and beautifully tragic fairy tales; they spoke of enduring a forthcoming destruction prompted by human greed and thirst of power, combating self-loathing and defying personal demons, and coveting the hope residing amid love and friendship.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “She’s not, hyung—she’s simply crazy”, he deadpanned.

Baekhyun chuckled. Jisoo shoved her brother aside, and Kyungsoo sighed. He picked Baekhyun’s lunch box and stole a piece of kimchi, only to scrunch his nose in distaste and glare at his older brother for his poor cooking skills.

“Don’t listen to him, oppa. I do like them!”

The Phoenix Shadow’s music was not dark by any means, but Jisoo was like an incandescent sparkler: too brilliant, intensely dazzling and purely classy. She was raised as a romantic ballads’ daughter, a Tchaikovsky’s ballerina with a joyful enthusiasm for old soul, R&B and disco music. As far as he was concerned, she mostly listened to Abba and The Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and some random K-pop bands like Vixx and Girls’ Generation… Not The Phoenix Shadow and their intense repertory of melancholic rhapsodies.

But, who was Baekhyun to judge her?

“I liked their last album, The War Begins?” She painted a confident smile over her thin lips, plumbing her charisma. “I’m expanding my tastes, you see. You’ve told me it’s better to keep an open mind about this kind of things.”

“You’re so spoiled, child.” He snorted with a playful wink before giving a short-term spin on his chair. His mind was racing with overflowing possibilities, except it was hard to decipher what exactly she wanted now. He said then, “It’s safe to assume that this uncommon visit has ulterior motives apart from enlightening me about your new obsession, hasn’t it?”

She clapped, delighted. “Precisely. You’re very aware how stingy Jennie’s been following my financial transactions after the tiny discrepancy triggered by my trip whatsoever—”

Kyungsoo snorted. “Tiny, really?”

“You took your friends to Greece in Jennie’s private jet, from whence you spent over seven thousand dollars in less than a week, doing what you denominated 'sightseeing'”, the young man exposed in a half-laugh as she flushed slightly, small cheeks getting colored by a faint salmon; Kyungsoo coughed. “Don’t blame the woman for being precautious, Jisoo. I’d be as paranoid and watchful if I were directly responsible for your high maintenance feeds.”

“—Yes, details, glitches, ha-ha. Let’s stay focused on the topic at hand, shall we? Observations and queries should wait until I consent further interjections.” She dismissed the embarrassing recollection with a graceful wave of her hand. Soothing her skirt, she recomposed her tantalizing smile and charged again, as firm and self-assured as before. “Since I’m positive Jennie’d rather give an international seminar while being stark naked, with all those important representatives hawking at her, before even considering granting us permission to attend this... We’re in need of your intercession, Baekhyunnie.”

Baekhyun’s smile vanished as swiftly as it first appeared. His deep brown eyes studied the zoomed announcement on that billboard page. He began feeling abnormally distressed after looking fixedly at those famous faces for a while, even repulsed. Jisoo and Kyungsoo endured the rush of belligerent panic that trespassed their bodies when Baekhyun’s expression darkened momentarily. Kyungsoo presented to him an encouraging, slightly hesitant heart-shaped smile, while Jisoo showed her endearing, puppy-like eyes.

“Oppa? What do you say about getting tickets for us?”

“She wants to invite her crush, hyung—please, choose their seats miles away from mine”, Kyungsoo interrupted her and Jisoo groaned.

“No, kids… no. Jennie abhors that band with every single cell of her entire anatomy—it’s a giant taboo, even higher than revealing her adolescent interest in Justin Bieber. If she finds out that I’ve even considered offering you aid, she’d fire me and kick my butt out of the company right away.” Baekhyun smiled, yet he appeared a little tensed and somewhat ashamed. “And that is quite a threat... I’m currently struggling to pay the lingering interests of my tuition credit, so I don’t have the funds for living out in the streets, sis.”

“Five years wasted in a Philosophy and Literature degree, and you’re helplessly stuck here, reattributing despotic people with nothing but atrocious visions and acquisitive aims. What a terrifying force is money”, Kyungsoo tasted the substantive, emphasized it slowly, and seized their brother with a cryptic, quite antagonistic look upon his lovable face. “Don’t you have greater ambitions, Baekhyun? You were never wistful before, but a tenacious dreamer—I used to look up to that.”

He shot a meaningful look towards his sister, and she cleared her throat. “I—we miss that, oppa. You used to be a lot of fun before.”

“Oh?” He was taken aback. An flickering of something riled his face up rather quickly, perishing a second later.

Neither Kyungsoo nor Jisoo could not tell why they had touched that subject. Perhaps it was a rancorous reaction for the immediate rejection, or maybe it was a nasty curiosity sparked by some deep-rooted memories they were trying to put aside. They were well aware that anything related to The Phoenix Shadow did not sit well on their family. Not only they made Jennie scorn and curse, quite out of character, but they had become Baekhyun’s feeblest point; he got weak-kneed whenever someone called that band’s name or hummed any of their songs. Although they knew this, they exerted their reason to do it. It was not just a tough decision to muster enough courage to ask Baekhyun for this favor—it equaled a suicidal desire to conjure a hellish hurdle capable of endangering the whole dynamic of their relationship. But Kyungsoo particularly believed it was time to stop tiptoeing around the forsaken topic, and Jisoo agreed.

Jisoo kept firm eye-contact, insistent on reassuring Baekhyun that she would understand if he opened up to her for once. Kyungsoo was more timid about it, but he stood behind her with his chin-high, wishing Baekhyun would see they were not a mindless children anymore. They could care for his problems as much as he had cared for theirs.

Baekhyun exhaled rather harshly when he replied, “I prefer the term invest. And yes, I do have much greater and superior ambitions. Unfortunately, bearing exhausting tasks and responding calls from apes with the upper hand, beneath the sole objective of surviving—that’s adulthood for you.”

Jisoo scrunched her lenient features in a quick episode of disgust, and Baekhyun, as he frequently did when she was younger, fixed his own expression in a mocking reproduction of her face. After that brief display of his carefree spirit, he talked in a spineless and low tone, yet preserving his easygoing grin and glittery eyes.

“Though, I must admit I’m fairly shameless. I went against father’s commands in order to fulfill my aspiration of becoming an awe-inspiring teacher and writer, and here I am, opting for the easiest method to earn a satiating salary, he. I just advise you, guys: don’t take guidance on my example, okay? I’m sure you can do much better.” Said with a light attitude, it hit them quite ruefully.

They went silent. The circumstances drowned the twins’ minds on a devastating guilt as they gawped. Baekhyun seemed to get lost in a violent train of self-destructing thoughts, musing out loud as he played with a pen between his elegant fingers.

“Sometimes, this society functions as a nepotistic chess that feeds from foolish ideas, and the smartest move to solve an unbearably checkmate is to seek for a decent position in your family business—to play along with the top dogs, I mean. Though that practically backfired at the end, since father was never part of the virtuous or philanthropic type while he was still alive. What a penny-pinching tyrant… Fortunately, Jennie’s been far more condescending with me. She even reduced some zeros, you know? So I can’t really complain.”

“She should’ve disolved the debt all together”, Kyungsoo objected, crossing his arms. “That’s what nice people do.”

“No, I wouldn’t have accepted that. A person must stick to their promises, and I promised I would pay the company back”, Baekhyun replied. “Even the antiphatic Sehun thinks that I’m honorable for that... I wonder if that’s true, though.”

Catching an opening in Baekhyun’s inattentive blunder, Jisoo sought to separate him from that agonizing and unexpected wretchedness. “Oh, yes! That’s because Sehun’s secretly in love with you—”

Baekhyun jumped and stood up, startled. His fingers itched in agitation as he flustered.

“Don’t!” He squeaked. Suddenly the tense atmosphere dissipated and he reverted to the Baekhyun everybody adored: frisky, clever, all eye-smiling, with his high spirits and particular humor. “He gets really angry whenever you make remarks about his particular… inclination.”

She clicked her tongue. “More like hopeless predilection. Besides, he’s anything but subtle with his tactics, so why he still grows all conscious about it’s a mystery.”

Her twin brother threw her a baffled look, accentuating his tight smile, and she nodded, acknowledging surrender with both hands at ease. “Ji, please—just shut up.”

“Geez, alright, I apologize. I know that’s another sensitive topic for him—sorry for speaking more than necessary and trying to ease the tension. You know how I don’t like tension... It makes me chatty, way more than normal.”

Her brother nodded. “Like right now.”

“Ah, yes, sorry, I’ll stay quiet now”, Jisoo said, furrowing her brow. She blinked, sighed and blurted out, “wait a second, I’d like to know if we’re attending the concert first, and then I’ll do my best to shut up. I promise—scratch that, I can’t promise such thing, it’d be masochistic of my part. So, um, just tell me and I’ll go and buy a popsicle to keep my mouth occupied.”

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun beheld each other’s gaze then, and thirty seconds passed. Both screeched hastily and simultaneously, features brightening as ecstasy filled their hearts, and laughed hard. Jisoo was stunned at first, but quickly followed their lead, laughing to her heart’s content.

Salty drops flew from their eyes, distributing thin shapes of moisture over their lashes and cheekbones. Huffing and puffing, their affair slowly came to a halt; erratic rhythms of difficult breathing descended to a common and noiseless symphony. They shared a secretive, fleeting whisper and redeemed their unruffled-minds.

Kyungsoo was back to his businessman semblance. “Anyway, regarding Ji’s petition—”

“My answer is still no”, Baekhyun replied, stagnant and beaming. At least he seemed happy again, Kyungsoo thought.

“Oppa, come on! You’re our coolest, most wonderful, most altruistic big bro… You’ve never declined to assist your little siblings before. Do you remember when you abetted my excuses after I set the mansion on fire that hellishly scorching summer? Or when I accidentally instigated the scandal of Jennie being pregnant with that famous idol’s baby, and you shielded me from everyone’s wrath?"

As he reminisced, a dispassionate force cracked his posture.

“What about that time when you even reprimanded Sandara for yelling at Kyungsoo after he sold her obnoxious dogs to that man charged for illegal dog fighting a few years ago? Or when you saved him from public embarrasament after he made out with that Kris guy and tainted his pants with—”

“I told you to stop bringing that up!” His brother fumed, red to the core.

“My point is, you’ve never let us down...” Jisoo exhaled slowly, frowning. “This situation shouldn’t hold any particular dissimilarity. It’s our faultless routine! We are a team, we help each other.”

He remained oddly mute.

“Oppa, please. It’s a matter of honor, too. I’ve given my word about this—I promised Jin-oppa to get us there. It’s my oportunity.”

“If you can’t afford to go through the path by your own, resign on persuading such a troublesome goal. I’ve intended to teach you independency and dutiful coherency, hm, so this is actually a convenient lesson”, Baekhyun sighed as she sulked in front of him, muttering how his affection lacked the unconditional quality.

“I invited someone as well, hyung”, Kyungsoo blushed a bit, coughing, and Jisoo giggled.

Baekhyun sighed, rubbing his forehed. He checked the calendar in his desk, red numbers burning his eyes, glaring a dreadful date. How curious, he thought… It’s been exactly seven years.

“I do love you both, but I recommend you to put on use those gifted brains you have and ruminate for a better scheme to enamor your crushes—one that preferably won’t infuriate Jennie or sabotage my monthly budget.” He gently told them, his pen head rapping on the wooden surface. “A single ticket to that concert is going to cost a fortune. They’re celebrating six years of international recognition in the motherland that didn’t believe in them. Knowing them, prices are going to be over the moon.”

He sounded bitter, and Jisoo felt a pang in her heart, and could tell Kyungsoo had felt, too, if his sour expression was anything to go by. Now they had another motive to go. They were going to hunt Chanyeol and Roseanne down. But first, they needed a legal method to get in.

Jisoo eagerly took Baekhyun’s hand in her own, fire boiling her liquid irises. “I swear we’ll listen to your anecdotes about Greece and Rome without complaining, and we’ll let you lecture us about Aristotle and Kant, and all those moralists whom you’re rather fond, whenever you want, if you answer us positively.”

“Additionally, we promise to clean your place twice per week. We’ll excuse you from the boring Wednesday dinners and Sunday lunches at home, too, and we’ll take Momo, Mina and Fanny to their beauty appointments for you—”

“—It doesn’t matter they are a bunch of divas”, Jisoo added. “We’ll take good care of them. We’ll brush their fur on daily basis, and vacuum your apartment afteward.”

“We’ll even get a part-time job to repay you if it’s compulsory”, Kyungsoo told him. “Hyung, please.”

There were two essential aspects that anyone dealing with this pair of twin and their exceptional misfits should know: first of all, negotiating came natural for them, as simple and unforced as breathing. If their father had been more attentive, or if their mother listened to their kindergarten aventures, they certainly would have felt pleased. Subsequently, their intellectual conceit rarely permitted them to approve anything akin to failure—they had a great willpower boosting through their bloodstream.

Even as desperate as they appeared—more Jisoo than Kyungsoo—, they were cunning by means of hitting the concerns they purposely cited:

First, Baekhyun did love to talk about his alma mater and his active years back in Europe, and he found enjoyment in astonishing people by sharing random opinions of Philosophy’s sacred cows. They were insightful listeners, quite patient and sympathetic, but lately they had grown slightly intolerant about that specific quirk of his. Jisoo once explained to him that his reality was an exasperating truism: he deceived everyone with a refined and well-ordered exterior, but his emotions were nothing alike—which led them to point number two.

Even though he was organized, tidy and nothing less than impeccable at work, a distinct contrast awaited him at home. A cozy mess that required unceasing attention governed almost every room in his apartment—piles of clothes everywhere, dirty mugs there, opened cabinets here, a packed suitcase with mementos from China that he bought six months ago lying in the corner, untouched and dusty. He had tried to justify this secret aspect of his life: house-chores roughly counted as a priority after ten-hours of following Jennie’s instructions and submitting loads of paperwork from countless departments. But Baekhyun knew better, and so did his younger siblings. The fact that they were offering an extra assistance, even when they saw it as an untreated disequilibrium his subconscious was desperately projecting, it was ideal.

Furthermore, it was utterly marvelous the prospect of taking a break from mediating disputes between Jennie and their father at their mandatory Wednesday dinner, which their mother used to organize to catch up with remarkable achievements happening in their lives. Likewise, being saved from entertaining everyone at Sunday lunches arranged by their grandparents to welcome the rest of the family in their state was already relaxing; snobbish aunts and stern uncles, brash cousins, long-distance nephews, political nieces… Baekhyun had been trained to stay by the vestibule, courteously grin and compliment everyone before ushering them to the garden. No one could truly comprehend how the suggestion of taking a temporal leave from all that pointless stress sounded divine.

Lastly, as much as he treasured his precious cats (a Turkish Angora known as Momo, a Norwegian Forest called Mina and a Ragdoll named Fanny), he could barely stand the idea of spending three-hours of another Saturday in a creaky couch at Minseok’s pet-salon, waiting among single ladies and rich widows until his felines were finally bathed, groomed, and spoiled as they pleased.

But they working, as tempting as it sounded, it was unacceptable. They had to graduate first and enter a respectable college.

Baekhyun had been by twins’ side since they were sweet, vulnerable toddlers. Great part of his youth involved babysitting them while the rest of their relatives were profoundly possessed by their hectic lifestyles, which occurred more often than not. According to their mother, little Kyungsoo and little Jisoo was a miraculous slip-up. Do Seunghwan had plentiful scions—Sandara, Roseanne, Jennie, Seokjin and Yuta—to preserve their leading enterprise as the profitable legacy it turned out to be after his outstanding management, and yet they were there—they were bestowed with no purpose. As a result, Baekhyun fetched the forgotten role nobody was willing to acknowledge and grew into a parental figure for them. Sort of. As good as a fourteen years old can do.

The memories…

Baekhyun shook his head. “I’m going to take a guess and say you’re planning on inviting that Wu Yifan kid, right?”

Kyungsoo avoided Baekhyun’s stern gaze, but he received his answer when Jisoo nodded.

Baekhyun did not precisely like that boy, and frowned. “You’ve been attempting restlessly to catch his attention since last fall, Kyungsoo, and nothing you’ve done so far has actually accomplished something—he’s still the same playboy.” He decided to play unbreakable until the very end, but it was getting hard. Perhaps his expression exposed his true intentions, because his brother became excessively ecstatic. “Why is this any different?”

“It’s useless, oppa. Even when there are million of sweet boys interested in him, Kyungsoo keeps rejecting everyone with the excuse that Kris is the one for him”, Jisoo interjected.

Kyungsoo decided to ignored her. “His birthday coincides with this particular concert date, and they happen to be his most favored band. Yifan is totally smitten and biased by their music. But he doesn't have enough money to go, so—”

Baekhyun clicked his tongue. “And neither do you.”

“Yet”, Kyungsoo supplied, seriously.

“But Jennie has plenty of millions in her bank accounts, and you have some saved thousands—I’ve checked.” Baekhyun’s eye twitched a little, but he stayed as quiet as a mum as Jisoo cheekily smiled.

“Please, hyung. I really want to do this for him. Even if he simply perceives it as a friendly gesture, or won’t see me as anything more than a good friend, I know it’ll be worthy”, Kyungsoo said. Baekhyun shivered at the burden of an unrequited love subtly dragging his speech down, and even Jisoo semed concerned about it. “If this doesn’t work on my favor, I’ll give it up and move on.”

“Kyungsoo…”

His strength of mind went down…

Jisoo stepped beside her brother and threw an arm over his shoulders, bringing him closer. Kyungsoo looked strangely frail then. “Come on, oppa. At least do it for Kyungsoo. My crush isn’t that important, so I wouldn’t mind not going. But let Kyungie have this chance.”

… and savagely crashed alongside his pride.

“Alright, I’ll buy the tickets.” He mumbled, a modest grin disclosing his defeat. Pale fingers stood and reached for throbbing temples, massaging them, caressing the nervous pulse. “You’ll both see The Phoenix Shadow—Jisoo, I want you to look after your brother.”

“As closer to the stage as possible, please!” Jisoo replied by reflex. She then cupped her rosy cheek and had the audacity of looking thrilled. “Whoops. I meant, of course, oppa—you can count on me.”

Kyungsoo blinked, tender smile blooming on his face. “I’d like those ticktets as near as the stage as possible.”

“Don’t push it, guys. You haven’t even expressed your gratitude… I’m quite hurt.”

“Thanks, hyung”, Kyungsoo gently said and bowed.

“Thank you so much!” Jisoo cried and leapt forward, squeezing his neck in a constricted grip as he practically fought gravity.

Her cellphone rang against Baekhyun’s sensitive ear with a loud _TANG-TANG-TANG-FINGERTIP!_ , and she stood up rigidly as she checked the notification previously set, her frantic orbs screaming alarm.

“Hurry up! The online sale starts in less than five minutes!”

“I got it.” He opened his browser and typed down the arena official site, crackling his fingers at the sudden anticipation making his stomach boil. “Oh? I’m feeling very competitive now. I’m going to make a lot of people cry for the sake of my little brother’s love life, uhu. I’m quite a badass, aren’t I?”

“I love you so much, Baekhyun. You have no idea.” Jisoo murmured, her pastel-coated thumbnail resting against her lower lip. Her attention was directed to the flat, large screen; the light casted a ghostly gleam over her face, like a stray light shining through darkness.

Kyungsoo was trembling at her side, playing with his raven locks.

Baekhyun grinned. “How could you not? I know I’m a wonderful person, and my personality is great, too. I couldn’t expect anything less.”

“I’ll let you be my best man on my wedding day”, Kyungsoo said out of nowhere and her sister gasped.

“Heavens forbid that wedding will be yours and Kris’—I would oppose to it”, Jisoo avowed, though she still preserved her  encouraging smile.

Baekhyun quickly inserted his card number, a peerless course on touch typing and two years of dairy practice kicking in by habit, as he dreamily hummed his response while smiling at the bickering twins. “I think throwing the flowers down the aisle suits me better, Kyungsoo. More stress-free—and I would be out of Jisoo’s wrath if she decides to attack the people at the altar.”

Jisoo laughed with ease, pecking her twin brother’s cheek to erase his frown. It worked. “We’ll make sure to annoy Jennie until she gives you a rise, then!”

“Give some chocolate to Chewbacca while you’re at it. That aggressive rascal tried to kill my babies the other day Sandara-noona dropped by.”

Jisoo hollered when the purchased was effectively completed, and Kyungsoo celebrated in silence, dancing to her moves. Baekhyun refreshed the site to verify how large the VIP area was in the mapa of the arena, and he almost yelped at the flaring-red SOLD OUT notice posted over the show Jisoo and Kyungsoo were to attend.

“You’re my bloody hero, oppa!” She hi-fived her older brother before skipping around, all the while her shaking hands fumbled with her cellphone. “Oh God, look at Kyungsoo—he’s going to pee himself! Yah, younger brother, you better worship me after this!”

Kyungsoo shook his head, but trapped her in a tight embrace that left her wonder-struck.

Baekhyun looked at their jubilant stances and felt truly happy for them. He rested his face against his palm, whistling. He gestured them to quit fooling around so they could get better look of the screen. As soon as they approached him, his grin reached his eyes.

“I hope Kris and your date, Jisoo-ah, enjoy getting sweat on their sight.”

Her jaw went slack as her voice squeaked out. “Oh God—you didn’t.”

Kyungsoo’s smile enlarged. “Hyung... wow... I’m so grateful I won’t even mind being in the same row as Jisoo.”

“Hey!”

* * *

Later that night, Baekhyun arrived home in a mildly atrocious and sour mood. He locked the front door and let his fatigued body slump against it.

Jennie had asked Sehun to give him a ride, as predicted, and it had been nefarious. Baekhyun had sensed that a predicament had most likely evolved into a terrible issue the moment a serious-looking Jennie stepped outside her office with a frowning Sehun in tow, even before the handsome man had slammed the door behind himself and barked at him to pack his belongings.

It was his obscure radiance and his guarded body language what gave it away—it was bleeding this grisly humor, like a noxious omen, as if announcing the start of a living nightmare. Even when Sehun was a hard-to-read character, his cold appearance acting as an efficient repellent for nonsensical people, Baekhyun had long understood he was not an aloof and empty vessel. On the contrary, he had to learn to dismiss his emotions in order to preserve his reputation and respect intact when assisting Jennie in the atrocious shark-market of money.

Therefore, watching the always level-headed Sehun losing his dignified, powerful bearing in a fit of rage was disconcerting. The Sehun whom he got acquainted since young, the almighty and practical businessman and achiever, did not crack under any type of pressure. It was like a red flag screaming at Baekhyun that he must listen without questioning. So, following his instincts, he had retrieved his lunch-kit from under his desk, yanking his coat and sliding his laptop bag from the back of his chair, before walking behind Sehun, waving goodbye to a sad Jennie. He had to return a few seconds later to pick up a grey folder containing a some drafts, but refrained himself from joking about any of this. Sehun’s strange glare was penetrating and merciless.

Sehun did not utter a decent phrase or a civil sentence while driving. From the passenger seat, Baekhyun noted he looked edgy and disheveled—wrinkled shirt, loosened tie, exposed collarbones. When Baekhyun tried to make polite chattering, seeking an explanation in a conversational way, Sehun responded with a blunt, clipped answer that shut him up. It was too aggressive, and so out of character of his soft-spoken friend. Sehun kept fulminating the hollow streets ahead, muttering profanities under his breath.

Eventually, Baekhyun had thrown the towel and let him be.

Once his apartment complex began to materialize beyond the horizon, Baekhyun felt obligated to invite him over. Even though Sehun’s foul attitude suffocated him, it did not change the fact that he still held a great degree of empathy and affection for him. In some ambiguous level, Baekhyun honestly respected him—Sehun was a general bastard for most people, but he was quite propitious with those who excelled in professionalism and showed loyalty. He liked honesty, clear and direct, bare of nonsense, and knew how to reward it.

Baekhyun opened his mouth to propose a weekend together, but Sehun spoke first.

“Chaeyoung contacted me today during lunch. She called from a public telephone. Did you know she changed her name? She became Roseanne Park. What a pitiful joke.”

Petrified, Baekhyun felt freezing ice in his veins and ardent smoke in his lungs. Of course he knew. Roseanne always managed to make a brief appearance in every single show and interview, and it seemed this happened for sole purpose of stating her claim over Chanyeol. Although sometimes it was Chanyeol who liked to parade her like a prize—look at my gorgeous and perfect wife and die of envy.

“She’s convinced your father bequeathed a property or something to her.” Sehun added after a heavy pause, side-glancing at him.

“Oh.”

“Apparently, she wants a house here, in the city.”

“Really?” Baekhyun whispered, concealing his distress behind a straight expression.

“The band’s taking a hiatus after this tour and she said they want to settle down. Here. She even expressed her interest on applying for a position in the company.” Sehun’s knuckles were bleached by the force he used to grip the wheel.

_This is not happening._

His mind shut down, and his thought became fuzzy. “That’s… great, I suppose.”

“She’s probably going to show up at the office sooner than later. Just be prepared to call security—Jennie and I have discussed about this.”

“Alright.”

Sehun parked his midnight Bentley in front of his building and unlocked the doors. Clip. Baekhyun felt like his heart and brain were starving, as his senses seemed to faint without enough oxygen. He jerked the handle and pushed the door in a haste.

“And, Baekhyun?”

“Yes?” He winced at his own squeaky voice.

“Park Chanyeol’s married. It’s time to come to terms with that.”

Baekhyun waved him goodnight and flew all the way up to his apartment, almost tripping over his own feet and rolling downstairs. His girls were waiting for his arrival in the sofa, their fluffy heads arranged over their front paws as Baekhyun threw his belongings on the cherry armchair, over a pile of clean sheets and towels.

His babies were simply gorgeous. Mina had smoky grey fur, a white mane and blackish lines all over her compact body. Momo was snow white with big splashes of black that covered her small head, her elegant back and half of her legs. Fanny was browish and fluffy, her soft fur in a light tone of cream for most part, except in the area around her humid nose and pretty ears, where it was a bit like cinnamon.

He carefully picked each one up, kissed their heads and crawled them like babies for a few minutes, relishing in their comforting purring, before putting them on the floor and freeing them. He turned his stereo system on and selected The Phoenix Shadow’s first album from his collection. It was called _Youngling_ _Breakdown_ , and Baekhyun once feared having sad songs inspired by him since it was a recopilation of some of his teenage experiences.

He had bought it out of curiosity, really, and later realized how grave this mistake was. He had gotten the second album as a birthday present from a college classmate, and had pre-ordered the third at a midnight promotion because he could not help it. He understood he was in too deep after he slept outside a music store during his last year, just to get his _Of Human Grief and Hope_ ’s Deluxe Version + Limited Edition of their first world tour DVD—The Phoenix Arises.

Baekhyun was so proud of him; Chanyeol had made his dream a reality. He was conquering the life he had always wanted, enjoying it with the woman he loved the most.

He took a half-eaten rum raisin ice-cream from his refrigerator, wore fitting shorts and changed into a worn-out Nirvana’s shirt. He picked a photo album from his tall bookcase and sprawled it across his coffee table, remembering his happy high school days. Fanny licked his face and then he noticed that he was sobbing.

_I’m so hopeless, damn it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the fic comes from Hey Jude by The Beatles, while this chapter title is part of the lyrics of Undisclosed Desired by Muse.  
> And, just because, Baekkie's cats:  
> Mina: https://www.askideas.com/media/24/Norwegian-Forest-Cat.jpg  
> Momo: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/87/1c/6e/871c6ecbd036b2bfb4043b1a7e4e25f2--turkish-angora-cat-angora-cats.jpg  
> Fanny: https://vetstreet.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d6b5fd9/2147483647/crop/0x0%2B0%2B0/resize/645x380/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvetstreet-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbf%2Ffcaf70a33411e087a80050568d634f%2Ffile%2FRagdoll-4-645mk062211.jpg


	2. All I need is a little love in the dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this is a bit boring. Next chapter will feature Chanyeol and Baekhyun's meeting, and a bit of family drama. I'm grateful for all your kudos... don't be shy, leave me a comment! I'd like to hear your opinion about this. Please.

Saturday morning was spent under his thick plush comforter, his favorite dark gray one, frequently quivering in discomfort as he listened to instrumental music. Baekhyun had assembled that specific matinee repertory for occasions where downheartedness dominated his mood. It consisted mostly of Studio’s Ghibli weighty soundtracks—those containing all type of melodies that forced souls into rueful reflections and essential crisis.

He could not find strength to hum along, even when his dry lips were aching to do so, and could barely recall the beautiful stories those heartfelt tunes were trying to resuscitate inside his lifeless, dreary bedroom. Baekhyun just remained quiet and oddly still, only his itching finger tips smearing nervous patterns over the soft fabric shielding his dormant frame.

It was warm inside his isolated chamber, yet there was a coldblooded numbness slithering out of his heart, icing his entire abode, empting his otherwise bright eyes. Some dreadful impressions swirled all over his mind, like delirious symptoms of those frantic illnesses provoking a stable patient, but he could not even grasp their quintessence. He was unreasonably drained to even start deliberating about self-destructing thoughts, to even consider dwelling on such trivialities.

There was a sole thing which he longed quite badly: rest.

He was paranoid and insomniac. If he fell asleep, he knew he would wake up in a feverish episode, and he would start to hallucinate. He would live their graduation once more, feel it unfolding all over again. There would be cheering, tears, hugs and meaningless goodbyes. Overall, he would surely pledge the same timeless mistake: he would look back, move his sight away from his rejoicing classmates, and catch a devastating glimpse of Chaeyoung and Chanyeol’s silhouettes rushing out of the crow as everybody flung their mortarboards in a barbarian celebration. He would yearn to follow them, but his feet would remain perpetually solid, joined to that damned floor where a part of his soul decided to perish.

Nighttime had been prolonged, but it was still too short to lessen the anxiety those memories liked to bring along. Baekhyun had invested his sleeping hours contemplating, ruminating, thinking. But it was futile.

His bedroom looked like it always had: light mint walls supporting a plain white ceiling, a classily shaped tan velvet chaise longue with framed pictures above, and his cats’ looming playhouse cornered against his tall chest of drawers. As a particular trend mark, there were pool of clothes all over the pastel carpet, mingling dirty pieces with unused garments which he probably had tried on and tossed away in haste, lying himself about opting to tie up later. There was also a multiple collection of glasses standing over his chest of drawers, hovering like a colorful and uneven castle over a dull hill of solid wood. Books were stacked against his favored bedside, where he would be able to lean over and effortlessly pick one if he sought to read before falling asleep. He especially liked suspense.

All looked the same, yet it felt like he had been thrown inside a foreign territory. Perhaps he had beheld his possessions far too long, and this became his first time seeing everything after a hundred rounds of useless consideration. It was not the first time experimenting this phenomenon over the twenty-four hours, he supposed. It was an endless déjà vu of a jamais vu.

He was sick of the numbing sentiment that emerged from possessing an errant soul, with drives and motivations far from an available horizon. Darkness blossomed in form of withered roses inside this tired persona, with keen thorns and piercing needles, like blades thirsty for gore and condemnation. He was so depressed, he found everything ridiculous.

At twelve o’clock, Baekhyun, patting his comfy mattress, whispered: “Mina, Momo, Fanny, come here.”

Mina and Momo approached with agile steps, laying down on his tummy and neck, purring.

Fanny mewed painfully, nestled inside her fuzzy igloo, and rolled over, doing a lethargic and quite exasperating stretch. She presented her back to Baekhyun, and that particular act gave him a strange sense of finality: she would not listen. It did not surprise his owner, though; his cats could be temperamental when they wanted, and it seemed like Fanny would not take any form of nonsense that day.

Sometimes, they were too human-alike. Each time Baekhyun fell ill in a dark episode of self-inflicted humiliation, one of the cat’s attitude would turn harsh, even hostile, as if refusing to colaborate until he snapped out of his self-destructing stupor.

“Ah, you ridiculously clever thing. Ha-ha…”

Baekhyung abandoned his cocoon once the music changed to saddening anime themes, orchestra versions of slow-tempo lullabies being played by wind and string instruments. Mina and Momo hardly protested, occupying the warm pillows in a blink. The doorbell had been ringing in the background, restlessly and relentlessly, tarnishing the redeeming rain treating his mourning mood. Baekhyun hauled his comforter in a swift motion and grappled it around his body, marching toward the entrance while it shielded him. He was holding tears back.

He cleaned a trail of tears with the back of his hand. _This is too pitiable, even for me._

A happy deliveryman was at his doorstep. He was a modest, uniformed hobbit carrying a sealed cardboard box against his ribs. He wore a lime shirt, dark pants, and pristine shoes. He was polite and measured, calmly handing him a bright tablet to sign and letting the box over his coffee table. He also complimented his apartment, which he should not have done, because his place was a grim muddle. He left Baekhyun with the gruesome impression that either he was a sarcastic buffoon, or had doubtful tastes.

At first, Baekhyun did not think much about the box. His cats’ permanent stylist, Kim Minseok, often prompted situations similar to the current one. Frequently, when the young lad was checking a catalogue online, he would get a glimpse of something he considered Baekhyun would like, so he would buy it and have it sent to his apartment. Minseok was a generous and thoughtful guy, so his presents never failed to be meaningful. Baekhyung did not mind, because he compensated him by helping him handle his employees’ quirks.

“Let’s see what hyung bought this time...” Baekhyun said, suddenly feeling less lonely. Minseok was effortlessly kind; he comforted others without acknowledging it.

Baekhyun almost yelped when his hands opened the package, but he achieved maintaining his calm posture. The few items inside made him scrunch his face and narrow his eyes; it was perplexing both the arrangement and the collection. There was a handmade poncho on top of an old scrapbook, a matryoshka doll, a mini tea set and a silver-and-gold circular pendant with a beautiful bird, a pocket watch and a weird pipe beside them, a bag full of coins and a napkin with a scrawled sign under it. Baekhyun’s entire countenance broke once he found a homey card nestled between cover and first page of the old scrapbook.

It read:

 _Hey, it’s been a while. I got you a few mementos from some countries I visited. Sorry if it’s late._  
_We should catch up._  
_-Chanyeol._  
  
Baekhyun gently closed the box and brought it to the kitchen, where he put it inside the only empty cabinet. Afterward, he walked back to his room, rigid and machinelike like a robot in an automatic mode, and took his thin cellphone out of his blazer pocket. As he punched his password, a few humid drops fell on its screen, leaving wet patterns that troubled the unlocking process. He scrubbed his face with his sleeves before typing again.

_Hey, Minseok hyung, are you busy later?_

A minute passed, and his friend appeared to be writing.

_Not really. A new coffee-shop opened right under the salon and I was planning to check it out at the change of shifts. Would you like to tag along?_

Baekhyun sighed as his entire form lost its equilibrium, tumbling over and falling on the chaise longue in a rather uncomfortable position. Fanny jumped out of her igloo and approached him carefully, patting Baekhyun’s cheek with her little, soft paw. His owner let out a sad sigh, and the greyish cat wrinkled her beastly mien. However, she did not leave; quite the opposite, Fanny lied down and stayed at an arm’s reach.

So unmotivated even to type, Baekhyun recorded a voice note as he distractedly petted his cat’s head. “Of course, hyung. I’m quite curious about your blind date, too. Did anything interesting happen? I’d like to hear details.”

Click, his phone shook inside his grasp as Minseok’s answer showed up.

_You have no idea how disastrous it was. He was a bit late... and then his ex-lover showed up and poured soup over the both of us._

Baekhyun smiled as he stood up, but it hurt to keep it up. “Well, it seems it’s not only me who’s having a hard time...”

He called a cab after taking a quick shower. Seated against a window that mocked him by imitating his pitiful persona, Baekhyun forced himself to get sidetracked somehow. He could not dwell on his life anymore, unless he wanted to reach a suicidal stage. It was good he was meeting Minseok; he did need someone to speak with.

It was a chilly day of October. The grey streets were humid and soiled, and many lampposts and signals had runny trails of rain alongside their humpbacks and metallic spines. The air smelled of muggy earth, early moisture and grass. Trees were missing foliage, baring their multiple wrinkled arms and cracked fingers, and orange drops were mixed in brownish pools at their roots—autumn was Minseok’s favorite season because it meant maturing transformation, and Baekhyun wholeheartedly agreed with him. It was a transition, a little and seemly meaningless evolution. It was that time of the year were nostalgia and lightheartedness tussled, disposing juvenile and bright illusions aside, so their spirit was to bear a hard taciturnity and coldness, to harden for a harsher reality.

Baekhyun wore a bluish handmade beanie over his black locks, and a furry coat Jennie had given him on last Christmas secured him from the occasional whooshes of frosty air. The shopping center was bustling and alive when he arrived, flaunting thematic ornaments that were set the night prior—large cobwebs hanging from its ceilings, with suspended outlines of laughing witches, black cats, onyx bats and silver ghosts. Baekhyun looked around, searching for something that would ease the storm raising inside his heart while he awaited for Minseok to be free.

His boots squeaked when he halted. He had spotted Lisa, Minseok’s young employee and Jisoo’s best friend—subsequently, Kyungsoo’s as well—, strutting in a glitzy pumpkin dress and black lace stockings at the other side of the hall, terrorizing people in a terrace from an élite Italian’s restaurant. She had a hard-looking trident in her right hand and a dark headband with pointy horns sweeping her mop of bright orange hair backwards. He could certainly infer what she was doing from afar: another bizarre scheme of marketing the staff had come up with. Lisa was letting strangers pet a black cat hanging off her whitish forearm. The toyed animal wore a flexible arrangement of angel wings over its backbone, and a silver material, fixed as a diaper, around its rear. Baekhyun hoped he did not take that miserable cat from their shop, or at least had the consent of somebody to do it.

A finger tapped his shoulder, and Baekhyun almost had a heart attack.

Minseok stood before him, cladded in a white sweater and some old jeans. He was looking at Lisa’s direction as well, and Baekhyun could only guess his own expression was as perplexed as Minseok’s. His friend took a little whistle hanging from his neck, and blew hard.

“Lisa! Dahyun and Wendy are here to replace you. Your shift is over”, he announced, intending to lead Baekhyun away, but the girl shouted wait, boss at them.

Lisa bowed to his enchanted audience, like a joker would do to a mindless court, and flew.

“Aw, hyung, you should have warn me so I could hide. Now I’ll have to listen to this season’s campaigns and what not...” Baekhyun uttered beside him. Minseok returned a faint, apologetic smile.

“Baekhyun-oppa, it’s so nice to see you! Where are our three favorite princesses?”, she wigled her fingers while she beamed, as if imaging fumbling with their ears already. Baekhyun kept his lovely, amused smile as he answered that they were at home. “You should totally get Momo, Mina and Fanny to our Halloween event! We’ll treat them as queens. I’ll reserve special treats only for them, I promise.”

Minseok took Lisa’s hands and kept them in place. “That’s okay, Lisa. I doubt Baekhyun’s interested. Set ahead and inform Wendy about Joohyun’s absence—they’ll be covering her clients.”

Lisa wetted her lips and nodded, halting in her steps. “Aw, but boss, I’m going to leave a bit sad today. You haven’t told me how good I look in this outfit, and that’s simple outrageous!” The girl hopped before Minseok and rotated in her high-heeled ankle boots, forcing they to clatter against the marble floors as she circled, elegantly poised, all playful and facetious. She disclosed her toothy grin. From his peripheral vision, Baekhyun noted spikey vampire fangs. “I’m promoting our Halloween fashioning season. I think this will absolutely upsurge higher numbers than last year event. Right, Baekhyun-oppa?”

Minseok knew Baekhyun tried to be well-mannered all the time, but saw him cringing nevertheless. “I’m not comfortable with the idea of dressing my cats up—it’s too human-ish for my tastes.” He expressed, gripping his bag single strap tighter before his hand became limp at his side.

Lisa’s unwaveringly smile blinded him as his elbow was captured inside an unbreakable grasp by a chuckling Minseok. “You’re so charming, oppa... Are you hundred percent sure? I could convince Amber-eonnie to give you a discount.”

Minseok simply smiled. “Don’t be such a party-pooper, Baek. I believe your cats are going to look dazzling with bat bows in their ears and a pretty witch dress. Right, Lisa?”

Lisa quietly laughed. “I would think so, but perhaps Baekhyun-oppa is right about dressing animals up...” but then her face brightened under an epiphany. Baekhyun fought down a noiseless snort. “There’s a prototypical black satin dress in the storeroom, utterly elegant, and its skirt has an exquisite lace pattern—similar to my stockings. It’s for a medium-big dog breed, but I think my niece could fit in it.”

Baekhyun laughed wholeheartedly while Minseok looked simply horrified. “Lisa, please, you can’t be serious...”

“Why not? I’d be a funny anecdote for the future—and it’d be like payback. Her mother, my eonnie, did something like that to me when I was seven. It’s only fair.”

Baekhyun covered his mouth, but laughter came out as boisterous anyways. “My, that’s a precious way of putting it. Ha-ha.”

Minseok simply shook his head, taking Baekhyun’s wrist to drag him away. “We’ll see you later, Lisa.”

Baekhyun rearranged the collar of his coat, complying diligently.

Minseok started grumbling about his atrocious blind date even before they reached the coffee place, puzzled looks heating the back of their neck as such small, pretty-looking guy brusquely pushed the door opened. Baekhyun assumed his head was starting to throb by just revoking the experience, and decided to follow him inside without a word, still considering that Lisa almost convinced him of purchasing some ludicrous costume for his cats. Last year, he had given in to Minseok’s former management request, the always creative Nayeon who was too persuasive to be ignored, and had taken Fanny, Momo and Mina to their event. His cats returned home dressed up as Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, as they thought it would be a comical manner to express how grateful they were for Baekhyun’s trust. Because The Powerpuff Girls were about friendship, trust and teamwork, you know.

Baekhyun had been meaning to tell Minseok his staff had lost great part of his trust since then.

The wind chimes over a closed stationary window picture sang when they stepped inside, letting a drift of air in as well. Then, Baekhyun’s ears were soothed by the running water of the Feng Shui fountain, and the smell of coffee beans appeased the remains of his early anxiety.

He studied the harmonic décor with attentiveness, going over the artless ornaments and relaxing touches, and received no proper answer when he asked Minseok what he thought about it. His friend wittheld good skills in that area, knew how to adjust a steady equilibrium of interior lights and colors, and how it would presumably repel negative vibes and push business into a propitious path.

Minseok, for his part, was staring incredously at someone in the counter. Baekhyun followed his eccentric gaze, and found a rather handsome man mischiveously grinning at the end of it, his smile as enigmatic as the Cheshire cat’s.

“Who is that?” Baekhyun whispered, risking another fleeting glace. The guy was familiar, but he could not pinpoint where he had met him before.

“Hey, Minnie. How was your blind date? I bet it was deadly boring. I told you it would be like that, didn’t I? How much did you miss me?” The man jeered at first, humming his amusement as he let his red gaze linger beyond his phone. He popped a pink bubble—cherry gum, probably—as he presented a lazy smile. Those hickory, brilliant eyes fixed on Minseok made Baekhyun at ease. “You should know the sentiment is mutual. My day’s been so slow… I was wondering when you would drop by, being you’re so fond of coffee.”

Baekhyun blinked twice, his brain linking the unmistakenable features and the familiar candence, and everything clicked.

“Jondgae, I didn’t recognize you! You look so different without that pseudo-afro you used to have”, Baekhyun was happy and friendly as he approached the young man, a bounce in his walk, not minding that Minseok was trailing with hard footsteps and nervous grumbling. “And you lost some weight, too. You have been working out”, he noted, signaling his sharp cheekbones and taut biceps. “You do look great. How have you been?”

Kim Jongdae, a carefree college student from a pint-size town in the southern coastline, suffered from a chronic and scarcely controlled allergy to animal fur. He was in need of extra cash to meet the expenses of living in the capital, and he had reasoned it would be a wise route to work in a pet salon, even if it meant exposing his wellbeing to the mercy of limitless allergens. Jongdae once said he focused on the fact that it offered an agreeable salary for an unexperienced apprentice every time transparent fluids were leaving his body in brisk, burning sneezes.

Jongdae smiled, and Baekhyun could not help but reciprocate it. “I’m good, hyung. I only have a year left and I will be out of college and entirely into the adult world, so I’ve been taking care of myself to keep the confidence up”, he said. “And you? How has life been treating you?”

“You didn’t mention you’ll be working here when I saw you the other day, Jongdae”, Minseok muttered, hugging his torso as he pointedly ignored the beaming young man. Baekhyun chuckled, seeing as his friend swept his eyes over the menu, but they never lingered enough in the words to acquire any sense.

“Must have slipped out of my mind. You know how distracted I get when you’re around, hyung”, he shrugged.

Baekhyun took his wallet out, barely concealing his amusement for Minseok’s flushing face. “I’d like to order a hot cocoa before you start your shameless flirting, Jongdae.”

“One hot cocoa with extra marshmallows for Baekhyun-hyung right away...”, he registered it quickly and efficiently, and Baekhyun noted how he added Minseok’s regular as well without the other asking for it. He smiled secretively. “How are your baby girls, hyung? I still think they’re the most beautiful cats I’ve ever seen in my life—they’re the only clients I actually miss.”

“You didn’t even deal with them”, Baekhyun peeled his coat from his back, looking at the long, polished passageway that lead to the bathroom as Minseok grunted his protest. He saw someone sneaking there, wearing a dark turquoise overcoat that reminded him of Newt Scamander’s.

“You can still appreciate something even if you don’t directly deal with it, hyung.”

Jongdae used to be in charge of keeping the front desk of Minseok’s salon operating; clacking the cash register and picking their buzzing telephone to list appointments between hysteric episodes was the basic crux of his labor. But then again, Jongdae had an extremely fluctuating disposition and unperturbed idiosyncrasy, and even so often, he devoted more consideration to reading (his cellphone, mangas or old books), than providing assistance and orientation to noisy clients.

He was one of those who hardly cared for vindictive condemnation or frantic verbal abuse, and responded to upsetting assaults with indolent sneers and boorish clarifications—even more when the patrons insulted Minseok’s business, since he had an obvious crush on the other. It did not help that he found delight in irritating mindless, arrogant people either. Furious, unsatisfied clients tramping and screaming were daily occurrences; they would slam their crystal doors shut and stomp out of the shopping center while howling bloody reviews about the pet salon.

Minseok used to reprimand him about it, and Nayeon always threatened to convice Minseok to fire him, but Baekhyun knew they all esteemed Jongdae’s bluntness and particular ways of standing up against difficult clients. Which explained why they felt rather betrayed when Jongdae presented his resignation and temporarily worked in the music store over Minseok’s Pet Salon. Baekhyun had not heard anything from him in six months.

Jongdae slid their drinks with ease, stirring another conversation, and Minseok seemed calm enough to respond properly. Baekhyun casually skated and went to rest on a circular sofa, of leather surface and firm cushions, waiting for their personal exchange to be finished.

He picked a magazine, and flipped the pages before landing on an article about personal image during job-hunting. _What colors you should never use on your first interview and why, hm_. He remembered the final candidates HR sent to parade in Jennie’s office, striving to be her new personal assistants before Baekhyun asked her for the job, who where immediately turned down because of their grey blazers and white shirts. Jennie liked people who worked for her to put personal touches in their outfits and follow fashion trends, to project confidence and self-sincerity. She was creative and talented, and liked to be surrounded by similar people.

“Baekhyun?” Someone called him, heartfelt voice sending shivers all over his hands. He gripped the magazine harder as he lowered it, finding a man he had not seen in years looming over with a uncertain smile.

He was the one wearing Newt’s coat. It looked big on him.

The man’s face morphed then, turning delighted as he confirmed his identity. “Byun Baekhyun, you’ve not aged at all. As youthful and beautiful as always.”

It was Kim Junmyeon, The Phoenix Shadow’s head manager. Kim Junmyeon, Baekhyun’s former mentor in basic notions about perspective, viewpoints and how to solve problems. He was standing in all his glory in front of him, with his diplomatic smile and well-educated mannerisms, with his prim appearance and expensive clothes from some foreign designer. He had seen him in countless interviews and sporadic videos the band updated in their social media, but it felt as if that Kim Junmyeon was another person from this real man who remembered Baekhyun and treated him as casually, as if they not seeing each other in years was not the case.

He sat beside him, tactful smile strechted, crossing his fingers over his knee. “It’s been a while, Baekhyun. How have you been?”

Baekhyun did not know what to say, or if he should react with equal happiness, or draw the line of strangers and respond curtly. To his luck, he had not come alone, and his friends popped in front of them before he could stutter some pathetic response, Minseok sliding beside him with a bow as Jongdae analyzed Junmyeon in a critical silence.

Jongdae’s intense stare became a narrowed incision as he rummaged around his apron and pockets, retrieving a polka-dots pom-pen and a notebook out of nowhere, both in light violet. He scrawled something as he said in soft voice. “Hello there, mister. Welcome to Starlight Corner. May I have your order, or would you like to hear our recommendations?”

Junmyeon looked at the menu over the empty counter, musing about it. Occassionally, his stare would drift to Minseok’s neutral face, as if wondering who he was. Baekhyun had no intentions of introducing them.

“Ah, this is for you, Baekhyun hyung.”

Jongdae delivered a note with a striking, graceful calligraphy for Baekhyun. There, Jongdae asked him if he was being bothered and if he wanted him to chase Junmyeon out of the place, and Baekhyun felt reassured. He peeked over his shoulder to watch Minseok’s unobtrusive, silently supporting presence, and felt truly grateful.

He slipped the memorandum inside a pocket and looked at Jongdae, who had his intense attention transfixed on him.  _Thank you,_ he mouthed.

Junmyeon tapped the table. “I think I’ll postpone my order. I’m actually waiting for some colleagues to arrive. Oh, which reminds me, Baekhyun... Rosé is coming over with Yixing and Chanyeol, perhaps in an hour or so, if the traffic jam isn’t as terribe. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you haven’t changed much. It’s a good time to catch up.”

Minseok and Jongdae noted how Baekhyun’s carriage faltered. He politically smiled at Junmyeon, but sent a pleading glance to his friends.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to excuse us. We’re actually in a hurry—”, Minseok interjected, checking his wrist watch and nodding for pretense. “We have an appointment at the other side of the city. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, I see”, Junmyeon hummed, briefly subjecting Minseok to an once-over. He then shifted his line of sight to the silent male beside Minseok. “When are you free, Baekhyun? We could meet later on, perhaps have dinner together.”

“I’m very sorry, but I have a tight schedule as Jennie’s shadow. I’ll be traveling out of the city for the next couples of weeks”, Baekhyun said, composed, self-assured, tranquil—or so he hoped he was. “I can’t promise anything... I’m sorry.”

Jongdae blew another bubble and regarded Junmyeon with a blank stare, blindly turning the page of the notepad he had been previously eyeing. He mused about something as his eyes examined their client, and said with a disturbing mirth: “I don’t mean to sound rude, but you look wealthy. What are you doing in a small, meangingless coffee shop as this?”

Junmyeon seemed taken aback. “I believe that’s none of your business.”

“But it is”, Jondgae narrowed his glare. “This is a non-friendly mobster coffee.”

“That’s bold, Jongdae-ah”, Minseok replied, stroking Baekhyun to lure him up and out of their seats. Junmyeon did not catch that, fortunately, being too stupified by Jongdae’s sharp accusation. “You’re always prying for skeletons, aren’t you?”

Jongdae’ next grin was boyish and laid-back. “Well, secretaries are aces in that particular job. You should understand me better than anyone, Baekhyun-hyung.”

“I’ll be in trouble if I ever understood your way of reasoning...” Baekhyun said, waving at a confused, squirming Junmyeon. Jongdae had a talent to distract people with uncomfortable questions and the manager had fallen on his trap. “It’s a complex way of thinking.”

Jongdae smiled. “I thought philosophers liked complex stuff, you know. Or, liked making simple stuff all complex at least.”

“It’s essentially the opposite.”

Minseok sighed, “we’ll get going. Thanks for the coffee.”

Minseok guided Baekhyun out before Junmyeon could stop them with another chit-chat. They were utterly surprised when they collided against a pair of bodies standing in the doorway. Baekhyun intended to apologize, but abstained from doing when Kyungsoo took off his black snapback and dark mouth mask, owlish eyes widening at being caught, and Jisoo removed her stylish sunglasses and hat, conjuring a sheepish grin for the adults.

“What’s with your all-black outfits? You look like those spies from the movies”, Minseok pointed out, bemused.

“We can explain, of course—”, Jisoo began, all jittery and smiley.

Baekhyun groaned. It did not take him more than a look inside of the coffee shop to guess what they had been doing there. They were stalking the manager and, judging by the price tags still sticking out from the items of their outfits, he could tell it had been a spontaneous decision.

“Let’s take them home”, he simply said, tugging them by the ears.

* * *

The calendar date showed it was the concert eve.

Baekhyun had managed to ignore the approaching event by burying himself in work. He spent the last days reorganizing Jennie’s never-ending lists of projects for expansion and potential customers, reviewing the updated financial data and internal-performance reports she always asked him to file, and being cooped in his apartment getting ahead of their schedule by efficiently sorting out the emails and letters for individual appointments, galas, overseas meetings and marketing exhibitions piling over Jennie’s agenda. He was supposed to care for personal aspects she tended to forget, like buying a present for her mother’s birthday celebration or dragging her to her routine check-up with her gynecologist.

Luckily, there had not been any type of contact from Roseanne’s part. At least yet. Junmyeon had vanished as suddenly as he had appeared, with no traces behind. They mainly learned about what The Phoenix Shadow was doing through local channels and radio stations promoting their highly-anticipated concert. Jennie and Sehun were still leery and rather sensitive about the topic, and the same could be said about the rest of the Do heirs, but they were confident strategists who would not tolerate nuisances and other forms of deficit to trouble their progressive, efficacious dynamics.

The city had been buzzing with adrenaline the past week, Baekhyun had noted. A horde of visitors from all over the country plagued the brisk streets over the commercial area, where most of the reowned hotel chains and event halls were located. In fact, they had assisted to a share of reunions in five-stars, multi-functional building downtown, and there had been more than a handful of occassions were perky fans would be gathered in the luxurious lobby, contrasting the elegant décor and business atmosphere with their Phoenix t-shirts and youthful smiles, twittering about the awaited event. Jennie never failed to be a great point of attraction wherever she went, and those days paparazzi got valuable captures of her unusually grumpy face, which she had failed to hide behind Sehun’s shielding frame whenever she caught a whisper of her sister’s name.

Baekhyun was eating Greek yogurt when someone rasped on his door as he thought about his week. He did not even shift from his spot on the couch, wherefrom he had been watching _Men on a Mission_ , when Jisoo unlocked the plank of wood, the chacteristic tingling of her numerous keychains probably alarming the neighbors about her visit. She strolled in with a pillow against her stomach, ushering her brother and Lisa inside. They were all carrying colorful backpacks and sleeping bags, and Lisa had a wolf plush under her armpit. 

“Excuse us”, she politely said, though she did not hesitate in making herself at home. She took her coat off, put it over a pile of clean clothes he had just watched and scuttled, running over the three feline princesses who seemed to adore her. They were clinging to her in a minute, fighting for her ministrations.

Jisoo and Kyungsoo approached Baekhyun in the sofa. They threw themselves over his thin body, stealing his breath with the forceful impact. “Oppa, we’ll be sleeping over tonight”, she informed him, crawling slightly so she could slip and cuddle against his chest.

Baekhyun snickered.

“You should iron your uniforms before you go to sleep”, he adviced, taking a spoonful of yogurt and feeding Kyungsoo, who had been eyeing his food intensely. “We’ll leave at seven o’clock.”

Jisoo, Kyungsoo and even Lisa, who was at the other side of the living room with the cats climbing her lap, stared at him blankly.

“Tomorrow is the concert, hyung”, Kyungsoo told him, slowly, calmly, as if Baekhyun would not understand him if he did it otherwise.

Baekhyun frowned. “Yes, I’m aware of that. But tomorrow is Friday and I won’t let you miss your classes again.”

“But we have to get ready and doll ourselves up... and leave earlier to queue up, of course”, Jisoo supplied, shaking his arm with feeble force, and Baekhyun looked at her as if she had grown another head and told him she was joining a convent.

“It’s only a concert, sweetie, not a beauty pageant”, he replied. “Sneakers, jeans and a comfortable hoodie should be your best pick by default.”

“But, oppa, you must understand our dilemma. Our supposed beaus had mastered jackassery and we, as swindled victims, have to flaunt in their faces that tomorrow’s going to be the best day of our lives”, Jisoo insisted. Kyungsoo sighed, diverting his cloudy, mystified gaze as he ignored the conversation all together. Baekhyun knew his woeful reaction was not normal. 

At Baekhyun’s wondering features, scrunched up in equal intrigue and astonishment, Lisa decided to meddle in. “They have to look good for the selfies they’ll take before going inside the arena, and after the concert, so Kris will greatly regret being caught... uh, doing it to Kyungsoo’s friend in the library...”, Lisa uncomfortably cleared her throat as Kyungsoo threw his head against Baekhyun’s shoulder, muttering something along the lines of how shitty people plaguing the world should be erased. Baekhyun remained speechless as Lisa went on, unaffected by Kyungsoo’s bitter mood, “and, well, Jinyoung-”

Jisoo gestured her to stop.

“I mentioned to Jin-oppa that you’ve gotten two tickets for the concert, the tickes I commited myself to acquire. Do you have any idea about what he did, oppa?” Jisoo grumbled, surprisingly annoyed. Baekhyun gulped, not really understanding youngsters from this era. “He went and asked Lisa for her sister’s number. In front of me, for heaven’s sake. So outrageous, isn’t it? Is it even possible to conceive that there are people as dense and rude still out there? Because I’ve never felt as deceived and humilliated before. I overestimated humanity.”

Baekhyun was stunned and a bit perturbed as he looked back at his little siblings’ best friend. “Does this Jin guy like for your thirty-two years old sister?”

Lisa shivered. “God, no! He likes my half-sister—Tzuyu, remember her?”

They remained in silence for a minute. Baekhyun processed what he had been told, musing about any adequate advice to provide. He thought back, traveling to the time he realized Chanyeol and Chaeyoung were building a path from the strong feelings they had for each other, and realized he did not regret devotinng himself to Chanyeol. Not even when his efforts had not precisely ended appriciated.

Kyungsoo and Jisoo were dear for him. He wanted them to be prepared well.

“Don’t fall in love yet, guys. You’re too mature for your age, so don’t let mindless, young jerks ruin your first love experience”, he finally averred with the soft and fraternal affection they mostly lacked at home. The three teenagers looked rather beffluded as Baekhyun arranged a thoughtful smile over his lips. “Don’t misunderstand. I know you can’t exactly control developing attraction, but your brain is a wonderful machine that can be constantly adjusted and improved. I suggest you to teach it how analyze people before nurturing any romantic feelings for anyone. Don’t jump head first into quick conclusions, and avoid idolizing people, even if you know them like the back of your hands. Learn to love the details, the small imperfections, and look for someone who is eager to do this, as a mutual compromise, for you guys.”

Jisoo and Kyungsoo sat with their backs in a vertical position. Lisa abandoned the cats to worm herself through Jisoo and the armchair of the sofa, resting her chin over Jisoo’s narrow shoulder while they heard Baekhyun elaborate his counselling sermon.

“Sounds easier than done”, Lisa mumbled, pensive.

“I know it’s a challenge, but you’ll treasure it later. I’m not trying to disparage the innoncence and sweetness of young love, because such experiences are still important, but... I wish you guys would fall in love well. Do it with bravery and seriousness, enjoy a type of affection and compromise different from what others tell you. Don’t use people, don’t let people use you: your time is worthy so much more. I know you’re young, but don’t hide under such excuse to postpone living at the fullest, in every possible way, even loving at the fullest.”

Then, he inhaled sharply.

“And, hey, I bought four tickets... I suppose you three are going to the concert, but what happened to the last ticket? I swear I’ll get mad if you tell me you won’t need it”, he stated, looking quite alarmed and so anticlimatic from his previous wisdom. Jisoo and Lisa groaned simultaneously, and Kyungsoo scoffed, shoving Baekhyun away by his arm.

“We saved it for you, oppa”, Jisoo said, her cheeks turning pink. 

“She means, we didn’t find anyone else to go with us”, Lisa confessed. Jisoo looked like a deer caught in the heedlights.

Baekhyun felt his stomach doing somersaults. “Wait, no—”

“We don’t really have more friends at school”, Kyungsoo added to support Lisa’s statement. Baekhyun wanted to scream as those pitiless eyes were pinned on him. “Everybody either fears Jennie’s name or adores it, and, well, we don’t need ass-kissers to follow us around... We even pondered about asking Sehun to accompany us, but he’d flip a table at us only for mentioning it.”

“And you told us to keep it a secret from Jennie, and Sehun tells her everything, so...”, Jisoo dragged, playing with her thumbs as Lisa hummed, clicking her tongue to lure the cats towards them. She sighed and Baekhyun copied her, all of them melting against the sofa.

They stared at the ceiling, losing sense of time as they indulged their soulful thoughts. 

Kyungsoo spoke up, but no one shifted their attention from their steadfast contemplation. “Hyung, we know you like their music. We won’t force you to stay with us if it you don’t feel comfortable, but we do agree it’s time to overcome this weakness of yours.”

“At least try it, Baekhyun-oppa”, Lisa tried to cheer him up with her pretty smile. “We think you shouldn’t cower anymore. Let’s go and have some fun.”

“You’re not getting any younger, oppa”, Jisoo recounted with mirth and her words sounded almost motherly, hitting Baekhyun deeply. “Please, don’t waste your youth living in martyrdorm for a love that did not blossom. You’re smart and kind, and can do well without this senseless drama.”

“Yeah... come on, hyung”, Kyungsoo nudged him. “We’ll be there for you.”

Baekhyun’s head hurt and his heart ached quite terribly. However, seeing the lovely, cheerful smiles of the teenagers, all full of hope and energy, he surrendered.

“Alright. I’ll go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title comes from Rixton's Me and My Broken Heart.


	3. I know when you're around 'cause I know the sound of your heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize profusely for not updating this fic! I thought I've already published the chapter-it had been in my files for months now-, but I realized a few days ago that I didn't. I've been a little distracted and kind of down lately, nothing really serious, so forgive me for not updating my other fics. I'm working to get my life in track (?).  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm sorry for any typos and the overall... dullness, I guess.  
> Stay healthy and safe, and smile! Bless you all ;)

Baekhyun should have foreseen it.

The unstoppable giggling and mischiveous exchanges that accompanied them all through their late dinner, the snippets of sporadic cursing he had overheard seconds before losing consciousness, the relaxing sound of water running at one in the morning almost stirring him from the early stages of vapid dreaming... When there were three spontaneous, carelessly inventive teenagers under his roof, those could never be good signals. On the contrary, they were a synonym of trouble.

He had been woken rather rudely even before six am struck the clock. There was pop music blasting within his medium-sized apartment, a catchy, up-tempo song he was certain had topped radio playlists for weeks straight reverberating inside his room with an ironic intensity. Baekhyun groaned once the high-pitched vocal combination became intolerable for his sensible ears, which were even more irritable for morning noises. He was forced out of the warmth his bed provided. He leaped over the piles of wool duvets, fluffy quilts and rectangular sleeping bags spread all over the floor, and yanked the door open. A cantankerous rebuke burned the tip of his tongue as he stomped his way across the dimly lit hall into the living room.

“Have you seen the hour, guys? This is—”, but his voice faltered after seeing his siblings’ renovated appearances.  
  
The volume of the high-tech, ice orb speakers resting over the four-person table was reduced to the lowest buzz by Jisoo, looking absorted in rapture. Baekhyun started rubbing his bloodshot eyes, in a futile attempt to remove both the sleepy crust and hefty fatigue from them.  
  
Gone were their natural black locks. Red velvet hair welcomed him in form of shining, mid back length tresses for Jisoo, who was still in her comfy nightgown and had a slice of mango hanging from her mouth, and a brand-new undercut for Kyungsoo, who was wearing over his homely loungewear the _Your opinion wasn’t in the recipe_ apron they had gotten him for his last birthday. Kyungsoo was toasting bread while his twin sister entertained herself by stealing pieces of fruit arranged in petite bowls. For her part, Lisa sat on the wooden floor around the dinning table, spoiling Baekhyun’s pets once again with treats. She was cooing over Mina purring in her lap, her fingers tenderly brushing her precious fur and scratching the soft tummy. The other two felines were lingering close, Fanny lazily toying with the hem of her baggy shirt as Momo rubbed her damp nose against her back, exhorting attention.  
  
“Good grief, I swear you are going to cause my early death...” Baekhyun muttered, tousling his own fringe as he approached the trio. He eyed the twins’ fashionable looks once more and snickered to himself, imaging Jennie’s plausible reaction once the twins’ school communicated through an email-notification about the twins violating their regulations. “So, I’m not exactly approving this...”  
  
“Jisoo insisted they needed to look stunning for tonight...”, Lisa went silent when Baekhyun presented them a lopsided smile, dismissing any justification with a lighthearted gesture.  
  
“It’s okay. I must admit they look good. Red does suit them—and, well, you have gotten skillful with those hands, Lisa”, he asserted, his sentence dying in a sudden yawn. Even when he was used to rising early, sleep took about an hour to dissipate from his system.

Baekhyun leisurely stretched his arms and cracked his back, the teenagers sharing satisfied looks as they admired him in silence. It was a fortune Baekhyun was a rather flexible adult. He was lovely whisk of fresh air amidst the suffocating bunch of stern caretakers entitled to order them around.

To further increase their steem, Baekhyun risked another inspection over his brother’s locks and nodded, satisfied. “Kyungsoo’s hair is nicely cut. Well done.”  
  
“Primping pets does have its advantages, I guess... Although I do wish rich women wouldn’t ask me to groom their animals according this kind of style. Middle-age crisis is positively frightening”, Lisa gathered the pliant cats closer to her chest, sheer relief loosening her expression as she hugged the purring angels. “You three are lucky that your daddy is a cool, level-headed man, yes, you are, yes, you are.”

Baekhyun smiled, petting her orange crown on his way towards the refrigerator.  
  
Jisoo, overly aware and rather perky for the ungodly hour, celebrated her older brother’s implicit acceptance by bumping her hips against Kyungsoo’s left side and clinging from his shoulders like a baby koala, humming along with the meagerly audible rhythm.

“I told you Baekhyun-oppa wouldn’t mind. You were worried for nothing.”  
  
“I’m trying to cook, sis—”, Kyungsoo shooed her with a hiss, attempting to shrug her off him, sounding boorish and cantankerous. Regardless, Baekhyun could tell he was merely pretending. He recognized the shy tug at the corners of his plump lips and the appreciative glint on his dark brown irises as Jisoo laughed gingerly. “If you’re not going to help me, then step aside—”  
  
He could not help his private grin.  
  
“But Kyung, this is my way of cheering you up for the splendid feast you’re preparing—”, she gasped, paying close attention as the low pop melody reached its bridge and fell into its last verse. She flew to change the volume of the speakers, turning it higher and clearer. “Ah, the last chorus!”  
  
Jisoo whooped when Lisa put the cats down, laughing jauntily with her. Lisa stood with a jump and beckoned her best friend closer, who promptly complied without a single protest. Baekhyun’s almond eyes rolled, Kyungsoo copying him without hesitation.

“—however our hearts go, let’s make a special day, you and I! Ho-ho-holiday! Ho-ho-holiday, hee”, the girls sang, moving her bodies happily in according the choreography, looking rather silly with their disheveled hair and wrinkled pajamas.  
  
“So, what are you making, Soo?” Baekhyun peered over his little brother’s shoulder, sniffing the air which mostly smelled as slightly burnt butter.  
  
“You’ll see”, Kyungsoo responded, pushing him away with his foot.  
  
Kyungsoo worked in silence, focused on his tasks. Baekhyun poured water in a transparent glass, weary eyes studying the calendar hanging from the fridge door with worldwide fridge magnets, and mused about the date. Chanyeol was somewhere in the city, in a luxurious suite with his lovely wife, resting soundly between her dainty arms as they waited for the break of the day. Recollecting the taste of domestic bliss Baekhyun always enjoyed in the presence of the twins, including that morning anecdote with the cheerful and sunny Lisa as a bonus, he deliberated about Chanyeol and Roseanne’s private dynamics.

He wondered if Chanyeol had found in her the home he had desperately hankered back when they were friends, or if she ever missed the problematic nevertheless endearing bunch of siblings she had left behind. Baekhyun often wished they had stayed, in spite of the jeopardies surrounding their relationship, even if it meant he would have had his heart and soul torn into pieces by directly witnessing their love story unfolding. He would have preferred that over losing his most treasured friends when they eloped.

Or so he thought.  
  
He was abruptly brought back from his brooding when the red-haired boy removed a total of six eggs from the carton and loudly cracked them in another crystal bowl, perhaps with the intention of mentally jerking Baekhyun from the corrosive thinking he must guessed from his lost semblance. Kyungsoo was whisking expertly as Baekhyun twirled on his heels to watch him closely, adding bits of cabbage, spinach, sliced carrots and pieces of onion with faked nonchalance.  
  
“Egg sandwich?” Baekhyun prodded, remembering that the simple dish used to be the only thing he could cook them well as a teenager. Kyungsoo was showing him his support by own his terms—subtlety being his prime forte—and Baekhyun would be lying if he did not admit it was endearing.

Kyungsoo responded with a brisk nod, emptying the colorful mixture over the hot pan, the sizzling noise and mouth-watering scent enticing the pair of beaming girls, who were done with their fangirling, to scuttle around like lambs.  
  
“That’s looking great!”, Lisa’s voice reflected such strong excitement when she popped at Kyungsoo’s free side, taking the delectable smell in with a deep inhale. Her round eyes were sparkling in delight as she licked her lips. “You should cook more frequently for us, Soo-oppa. I have some recipes you could try—I mean, we could try out.”  
  
The boy snorted, splashing drops of cold water over her bright hair to shoo her away. “You have a brother, so pester him to cook for you”, Lisa yelped and declared warfare with a mischievous, adorable smile, dipping her own fingers in a forgotten glass water. They started bickering then, throwing berries and pieces of vegetables at each other, ignoring Baekhyun’s protests about wasted food.  
  
“Oppa, are you skipping work today? You totally should!” Jisoo proposed with that enchanting pair of eyes glimmering wonderfully, swiftly avoiding his pair of best friends and coming around Baekhyun with natural finesse, like the ballerine she was. She managed to steal a piece of omelette while Kyungsoo was distracted and her older brother smiled.

At that moment, Momo and Fanny deemed perfect to start grinding against Baekhyun’s bare calves, requesting their breakfast with a soft plethora of meows. Jisoo lowered herself to their level and petted Momo’s crown with a happy face, cooing as the cat lapped with her tounge at the lines in her palm.  
  
“Unlike the three of you, I have responsibilities I can’t defer. Moreover, I can’t lie to Jennie about it—she wouldn’t forgive me if I were to prioritize some concert over work. I do appreciate all the trust she’s given me, you know...” his sister lower lip trembled, as if it were about to form pout, and Baekhyun sighed. “I’ll try to leave early, okay? But I won’t promise you anything”, he amended, arranging a rebellious lock behind her ear-shell.

Jisoo thanked him in a tight embrace. Baekhyun noted her gleeful eyes were twinkling more profusely. With more peace of mid, he moved to retract his cats’ bowls from the balcony, a little touched by their joyful mood.

“I’ll excuse you from school today with the condition that you will reserve my place in the queue. Do we have a deal?” He called out.  
  
“Yes!”, Jisoo and Lisa answered in a heartbeat.  
  
Baekhyun twisted his slender neck before stepping back the kitchen area. He met Kyungsoo’s curious gaze, his own turning almost pleading as he spoke his thoughts out loud. “And, for heaven’s sake, behave while you’re there by your own—Kyungsoo, I trust you. Do not cause any scandal there”, he said, waving his pets’ bowls around, like some spontaneous yet lethal weapons.  
  
The young lad groaned after hearing his twin sister and their best friend twittering, “can’t promise anything either, oppa.”

* * *

Baekhyun managed to return home fifteen minutes past three, instantly stripping his tailored pants and navy dress shirt off, wading through his untidy room, almost tripping with the piles of clothes and remnants of the unexpected sleepover, to wash himself in record time. He mechannically slipped into his favorite ripped jeans and a casual graphic tee, throwing a loosened button up on top. _Don’t think too much, just keep yourself busy—it will last only two hours_. His fingers were working on fastening his shoelaces when the bell rang and startled him greatly. He was perched on the doorstep, putting him in a direct channel for the sound impact, which he reacted with a loud hiss.

His heart was hammering against his ribcage as he scrambled up. There were traces of transpiration on his palms that would not vanish, no matter how often he wiped his hands. _Calm down, you can’t leave with such anxiety. You’ve met the most influential people in this country, you can do this—it’s only Chanyeol._

He picked his small messenger bag from the floor and slung it over his head, shouting a brisk “a moment, please!”. He maneuvered to unlatch the lock of the door while he finished adjusting the strap around his shoulder, confirming he was bringing his cellphone, house-keys, ID and cash—just the essential, since he was going to dive into a pool of adrenaline-driven fans and it would be fatal if he lost his wallet with all of his cards in the arena.

As he unzipped his lips to welcome the newcomer at the door with a polite greeting, he identified the person’s stony features and staggered quickly, as if he had been expecting being impacted with a fist. Sehun’s frowning face remained impassive at the other side of the doorway, even when Baekhyun offered a benign smile.

“Where are you going, Baek?” Sehun demanded to know. His undecipharable, botomless eyes were studying Baekhyun’s casual outift attentively, and Baekhyun could feel the adrenaline rushing up, dronning inside his ears like a pair of angry bees.

Sehun was formal-clad. His blazer was folded in two over his forearm and his sleeves were at the level of his elbows. He looked stressed, impatient and rather annoyed. Baekhyun could foretell that his unbidden guest already knew where he was heading off, the storm swirling in his gaze being a fine gauge. It did not take a genius to connect the variables at hand after all.

The silence prolongued, sustained by the ineptness of Baekhyun’s short-circuiting, overwhelmed brain. Sehun shifted from one foot to the other as he seized the smaller man up, waiting for the dense cowardice to dissipate from Baekhyun’s clouded rationality.

“I have a date with my siblings. They’re already expecting me”, he said at last and closed the door behind himself with a sense of finality. His voice shook slightly, but he refused to be intimidated by Sehun’s arched eyebrows at such evident show of weakness. He was not lying either. “I’m sorry, Sehun, but I’m in a rush. We can talk later-”

His companion sighed, the softening of his sharp glare clamping Baekhyun’s mouth shut, and checked the hour in his cellphone. “I’ll drive you to the venue. Come on.”

He should have declined Sehun’s offer, since it was summouned by an on the spur of moment type of altruism, and that was something not entirely infallible and trustworthy. He soon found himself between a sharp seatbelt and the hard leather chair, listening to a well-liked radio program reproducing an early interview with The Phoenix Shadow, reviewing a new repertory of downsides and disaventageous scenarios regarding his attendance in the concert. The band members—the bass guitarist Yixing, the drummer Jongin, the keyboardist Jungkook, the guitarist Taehyung and Chanyeol as the lead vocalist—were in high-spirits as they joked about messing their performance that night, mockingly jabbing at each other’s abilities and over-boosted pride, and why they believed Rosé would steal the spotlight with the special presentation they had arranged for the fans.

Baekhyun did long to see Chanyeol in person again, but he was not sure about watching him perform by his talented wife’s side, observing them as they fell in love again in front of a vigorous audience, enclosing themselves in a perfect and unbreakable bubble. Honestly, the sole thought sent his stomach to the pits of hell. It almost made him ask Sehun to whirl the wheel around and drive him back home.

When the circular dome of the venue was clear to sight, over the row of noisy cars and between the cracks of skyscrapers, Chanyeol said in his deep, baritone cadence, “this city was my hometown years ago, before Rosé and I left the country, but we haven’t had many concerts here... it feels strange to come back after so long, you know? I wonder if we’ll meet old friends tonight...”

Baekhyun could not breathe, scrutinizing the gray streets with desperation. The multitude of people girding the arena suddenly suffocated him, slapping him with a dose of claustrophobia even before he were to affix his presence there.

“Call me when it’s over, Baek. I’ll pick you guys up”, Sehun stopped the car by the head of the long line, where they had distinguished Lisa’s unmistakable hair between two reddish mops belonging to the twins. Sehun wrapped an oddly warm had around his cold one and Baekhyun responded by squeezing the fingers back. “Call me if anything happens, really.”

Baekhyun thanked his impromptu chauffer in a mousy tone, conjuring a kind smile as he diverted his gaze and fondly stared at the trio chatting in happy obliviouness. He rested his skittish fingers over the poolished door handle and counted to ten. As he was about to step out, however, Sehun trapped his left wrist in a tight, wanton, rash grip, and Baekhyun turned to look at him with aghast eyes, quite disconcerted by his behavior.

“Take care of yourself. Don’t allow that bastard to stomp over your heart ever again—Chanyeol doesn’t deserve you, Baekhyun. Don’t forget that”, Sehun said sincerely, brushing his right cheek with a tender touch.

Baekhyun opened his dry lips to reply, but was not capable of retorting.

He nodded meekly, self-chastising as he hopped out of the vehicle, reassuring himself that Sehun lacked a solid base to support his concern. He was a man, a strong-willed, mature and self-sufficient adult, and would not encase himself in an onerous, unbalanced state of mind just because he was meeting the first love that was never granted closure. Baekhyun had a pep-talk with himself as he strolled around the endless row of lively fans, to where Jisoo, Kyungsoo and Lisa were huddled near a gate, and joined them with his eye-wrinkling smile on point.

Jisoo fished her cellphone from her pocket when Baekhyun greeted them, and he noticed they had basically ignored his fashion-related advice. It did not surprise him.

“Oppa, you made it”, Lisa waved, her red, Trust t-shirt almost making him chuckle.

She had preened herself to look incredible, as she always did, but she never failed to be particular about the charming touches she fixed on herself. She had chosen to stand out with Line characters admist the crowd of ripped jeans, fishnet patterns, leather clothes and heavy boots, and did look absolutely amazing.

“They’ll be opening the entrance for the VIP area in a couple of minutes”, Kyungsoo informed him, his hands and back resting against the wall. He was as laid-back and low-profile as usual, in a black shirt with an equally black jacket and black jeans. Nonetheless, his haircut seemed like “You arrived just in time, hyung.”

 _I should have come later—no, I should have given my ticket to Kris’ cousin, that guy from HR, and spare myself the stress_. Instead, he voiced out, “good. How are you guys feeling? Are you excited?”

“Why is Sehun-oppa texting me something about not trying anything funny?” Jisoo asked, almost stamping her blinding screen to his nose. He frowned, slowly removing her delicatee hands and the dazzling object from his personal space, and locked her phone with a swift brush of his thumb, dismissing the matter with a shrug.

“I like your shirt, Jiji—please, tell me you didn’t steal it from Jennie’s closet”, he told her, wanting to forget about the topic. Her blouse was black, from a Vivetta collection, and it exposed the curves of her milky shoulders.

Jisoo’s already bubbly mood improved by his compliment, and she did not wait long to start speaking about the story behind it. “Of course not, oppa. The marketing representatives sent examples from the spring collection to Jennie, but she only picked a handful of items out of it. She gave me permission to take clothes if I liked them, and asked Sehun to ship the rest to charity, but Lisa told me we should renovate them so Jennie would have more options—”

The girls engaged in a discussion about Jennie’s tastes then, and Kyungsoo cuddled against his side, muttering he was a bit sleepy. Baekhyun marvelled at their tranquil, rather level-headed semblances, quite contrasting with his skyrocketing hysteria, or with the jittery mass surrounding them. Lisa and Jisoo were accustomed to daily doses of potent stimuli and optimistic vibes, and perhaps that was why the anxious environment did not influence their dispositions that much; they were unhesitant and keen, ready to face another adventure. Kyungsoo was an introvert sweetheart in comparison, hence it was understandable his less enthusiastic response to the strong vibrantions, but Baekhyun had learned to interpret his body language. The untroubled countenance plus relax poise were inklings to assess his good mood.

He wished he could partake in the psychological distance which they unconciously associated with the band. Their parents prevented the twins from interacting with outsiders until they became thirteen, so they had not ever met Chanyeol, nor the rest of his friends—they were blessed to not have personal connections that could subject them to hearbreaking periods of remorse, unlike Baekhyun, who sometimes still cried over the tossed friendship he once had with Chanyeol. It was that glaring knowledge of some of Chanyeol’s never-disclosed facts—like his obsession with gumdrops and bittersweet candies, and how he could eat entire bags by himself without having stomach ache—that made Baekhyun’s heartbeat spasm in distress as he stood there.

How could he see him again, when there were so many questions and resentment in between?

It did not help Chaeyoung’s presence as well. As their sister, she had not constructed many memories with them. She was a prodigy kid their parents had on a pedestal, whom they restlessly smoothered to crave her talents into full potency. Baekhyun hardly saw her around the house when they were kids and, whenever he brought the twins to their play dates—because she used to fit time for him back in the day—, she would be taken away by her strict governess or obnoxious tutors instantly. After a sequence of similar episodes, he realized Kyungsoo and Jisoo were not exactly liked inside their household. Baekhyun did not blame her for drawing a line between the twins and her, because she was just a foolish young lady herself, a growing princess who treasured her parents’ opinions over everything else.

He did blame her, however, for meddling in their friendship, for stealing his best friend even when she was aware of how Baekhyun felt for Chanyeol.

“Oppa, come on, they’re moving”, Jisoo tugged his sleeve. Baekhyun blinked twice, warily eyeing the people advancing with eager steps and shrill exclamations, and almost wavered, feeling like running away from the arena. His pulse was jeopardizing, too quick, and he could swear Jisoo was capable of hearing it.

Lisa tutted. “Ah, oppa, don’t fret over it. It’s okay.”

Jisoo nodded along. “Hey, oppa, it’s okay—we’ll have the time of our lives. Breathe. It’s going to be a fantastic night.”

Kyungsoo’s warm fingers enclosing his right hand, as well as Jisoo’s dainty ones securing his left, reminded him why he was there in the first place. Jennie, Sehun and the peskily smart teenagers were right about this: it was time to move on.

* * *

It was rather hilarious, Baekhyun thought.

The concert was yet to begin, but Jisoo was already braiding her hair in messy bun, fanning her rosy face as the heat in the standing area condensed. Kyungsoo had his jacket tightly attached to his waist, his bare, thin forearms glistening under the light with sweat as he struggled to photograph with his Iphone the filled area from his viewpoint. Lisa was the mood-maker of the four at the moment, carelessly moving her hips to the jazz rhythm of the opening band in spite of the uncomfortable metal of the security barrier they were glued against, or the antsy people behind them who occasionally pushed forward with crazy vehemency. Baekhyun was laughing wholeheartedly, apprehensive about being so close to the ramp and central stage, nevertheless glad he had decided to accompany the three troublemakers.

Well, he was glad until that damned voice yelled, “are you ready?!”. He almost fainted as the familiar timbre echoed throughout, arising a wave of piercing screams, but managed to ground himself. The stadium shook with the roaring uproar, and he inhaled sharply as the lights were rendered to a traslucid curtain. The band members made their grand entrance with the title track from their lastest release, one of Baekhyun’s favorite songs with a hidden disco-feeling, and his eyes watered slightly when the spotlight unveiled their faces.

And there he was. Park Chanyeol in all his glory.

_Oh God._

Chanyeol was so close, smirking playfully at the screaming audience as he jumped into action, the rough edges of his voice smoothly fitting the song about a miraculous world and people filled with dreams. He had gotten so taller, his limbs gaining muscle and strenght after remaining ridicously lanky through their highschool years, and his poise was so confident, so splendid, so unearthly and blithe. His hair was jet black, not as short as Baekhyun had expected, and he had black tattoos adorning his taunt forearms and calloused hands, exposing them as he played with his microphone; Baekhyun recognized some from his social updates, specially the si me amas, serva me one. He was dressed in jeans and a crewneck sweater, looking youthful and carefree while bobbing his head and grooving to the music. Baekhyun almost choked with a harsh sob the instant he caught the silver necklace hanging at his collarbones level, a pair of handcuffs and a pistol locked together as its pendant. Baekhyun possessed a similar one, but his had a shovel instead of a pistol because, well, they used to be partners in crime.

He could not stop gaping.

When Baekhyun regained a hold of himself, the bright illumination was returning gradually, cascading all over the indoor arena, bringing the endless faces to life. The band members were talking, greeting the thrilled conglomeration of fans, prompting the excitement and frenzy to increase with their loud shouts. Jongin and Yixing were the calmest among them, chuckling as Taehyung and Jungkook were frolicking on stage, even when Chanyeol asked them to cool down.

“The Phoenix Shadow arises tonight while hoi polloi is bewitched by the light radiating from the burning bird”, Chanyeol finally introduced them as a whole group, Baekhyun losing his breath while he displayed his teeth in a wide smile. “What does it roar while it looms beyond?”

“The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived!” The devoted fans chanted, his siblings and Lisa included. Baekhyun felt like his lips were sealed.

_It is really Yeol..._

“That’s right. So, let’s have an amazing time together—” Chanyeol swept his blazing gaze over the front rows, waving at the pumped-up crowd, and Baekhyun quickly closed his glistening eyes and ducked his head out of fear, not ready to make even the briefest eye-contact. The sole idea made him terrified.

He heard Jisoo squeal as Lisa giggled, Kyungsoo groaning afterward, and wondered what would be happening. Chanyeol had paused, giving his fellow members a chance to speak. Baekhyun wanted to observe the interactions, but his throbbing heart needed to calm first.

Taehyung was the one who took the iniciative. “Tonight will be memorable. Let’s begin... guys, come on, let’s take them to the panic station first!”

Baekhyun had gone to multiple concerts and musical festivals during his college years, headbanging alongside his wasted friends, grinding his body against countless strangers, humming along to heart-wrechting songs with emotionally-touched fans. He remembered the mayority of his experiences, from the most extraordinary nights to the most terrible fiascos, and could easily narrow the best and recount them with a single hand. The Phoenix Shadow belonged, undoubtedly, to his top-five.

Not only Chanyeol’s vocal range and skills had improved along the years, as well as his stamina (all the jumping and messing around they did over the stage enough proof of that), but the vital chemistry of the band was remarkable. They played effortlessly, relishing each other’s participation, cojoining their abilities to gift the attenders a notable show. Taehyung and Yixing leaning on each other during striking guitar solos, Jungkook and Chanyeol sharing a small bench for particularly complex piano arrangements, Yixing singing acapella while Chanyeol devoted himself to an acoustic guitar, Jongin coming to the front stage to cudgel the kettledrums of one of their most iconic compositions while Jungkook and Taehyung invited the audience to clap along—Baekhyun trully enjoyed it all.

“I’ve seen people throwing phones on stage before, but I don’t understand where do they take enough confidence to do it”, Jisoo mentioned at some point, passing Baekhyun a peppermint bubble-gum so he would not feel the thirst as unrelenting. She blew a pretty sphere, smiling cheekily.

The band members were drinking from their bottles of water while the staff wheeled the set of kettledrums out of the stage, and Baekhyun was belittling himself for blushing like a schoolgirl when Chanyeol took his sweater off and paraded around in a tank top. If it was hot before, now the arena was scorching.

“Jisoo, don’t get any weird ideas”, Kyungsoo blurted under his breath, wipping sweat off his neck. Lisa snorted cutely at his deadly expression, cackling up even more when Jisoo started feigning practicing how to aim it. She was merely striving to bother her twin.

Baekhyun was fighting to keep his wavering smile intact, white fingers grasping the security rail for dear life, because Chanyeol was currently walking in front of them and the almighty nauseas were upsetting his stomach. How ironic that many fans were dying to be somewhat acknowledged, even regarded with a fleeting look, and yet Baekhyun was praying he would go unnoticed by the singer.

Don’t look up, Byun Baekhyun.

Lisa grunted out of the sudden. “Hey, calm down, don’t push—”, she demanded, Jisoo copying her instantly when they rammed into the metallic barrier with harsh whines.

Kyungsoo eyed the cellphone, still too high for his liking. “Ji, just put it down—”

But it was too late, because someone abruptly shoved Jisoo forward, her whimpering when her ribs hit the bar rather violently rippling through them. In a flash, the Iphone flew out of her hand and was propelled ahead, cutting through the small distance like a ninja kunai. Kyungsoo hid his furious face in the crook of Baekhyun’s humid neck, mumbling about burning the world down, his brother completely mute as he his brain shut down when the cellphone brushed Chanyeol’s ankle. Luckily, Taehyung discovered the device before it could cause an accident, picking it up with a snort.

“Aw, don’t throw your phones here, you could’ve damaged it pretty badly—”, Taehyung adviced. Jungkook approached him and hummed when he took a peek, snatching it from his hands with an intrigued gaze and running off before Taehyung could object. Some of the fans behind Baekhyun went wild and someone accidentally elbowed his right kidney.

Jisoo’s feeble protests and pleas for her cellphone went unheeded by the security guys. Kyungsoo noticed how she was applying pressure to her right side, where she had collided with the rail, and his expression darkened considerably.

“This a nice shot”, they heard Jungkook commenting.

Baekhyun moved to shield Jisoo once Lisa began reprimanding a rather brutish person behind them, and, even though he looked well composed, Baekhyun was panicking inside. Don’t show it to Chanyeol. For heavens’ sake, please don’t do it—he will recognize the Supreme hoodie and hands and oh God, I look hideous there—

If Baekhyun remembered correctly, Jisoo’s locked screen was a photograph from their trip to Tokyo Disneyland a couple of months back, when Jennie was forced by a great majority of Yenkkoch partners to take a vacation and voted for bringing her favorite siblings out of the country. Kyungsoo and Jisoo were doing the fusion pose from Dragon Ball, meanwhile Lisa—as unaware as he was of the camera—was forcing a Minnie headband on him in the background.

“Jisoo—”, her brother called, her twin sister whining immediately, “—it wasn’t my fault, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “I know, just—where are you hurting?”

“Call one of their parents and tell them what their child just did—” Jongin suddenly said, making the audience respond positively. Jisoo’s weak smile faltered, her stunned expression worsening as realization hit her, but her brother prevented her from yelling against his suggestion.

Taehyung peered over Jungkook’s back. “There, dial that number, Momma Jen—”

Kyungsoo’s eyes enlarged and Baekhyun tensed, knowing well that Jennie would roast them alive if she answered that call. “Shit—no, no-”

“Stop fooling around”, the responsible, mature Yixing gently removed the bloody device from their grasp, pointing at their spots on stage as a staff member approached to retrieve the cellphone. He kindly added with his dimple-smile, “to the owner of the phone: you can have it back once the concert is over, just ask security at the entrance for it. Please, everybody, don’t do anything dangerous. Enjoy the concert and stay safe.”

Kyungsoo was glaring at the obnoxious girl who was criticizing her shaken sister, one of the culprits of Jisoo’s small injury and the reason of her missing cellphone. Baekhyun sighed in relief once Jongin resumed the set list and played a prelude, ignoring the people whispering around them.

“Kyunggie, don’t mind her, it was nothing”, Jisoo mumbled, shrinking by his side.

“Kyungsoo, don’t terrorize people, it was an accident—”, Baekhyun gulped, a brusque, sharp intake of air severing his light words as Chanyeol peeked in their direction. Hopefulness erupted inside him with a warm upsurge of adrenaline, but he was fast to repudiate such irrational feeling, thinkinng that Chanyeol would not be able to recognize him among the countless faces of strangers.

Chanyeol’s eyes lingered near, but were never focused on a sole point. Baekhyun should have not been as disappointed as he withdrew and quitted his visual exploration.

About halfway into the concert, with a sweaty Chanyeol mostly dancing at the end of the ramp, Roseanne appeared between Taehyung and Yixing, her stylish hair in a blonde shade falling as a straight veil over the back of her little black dress. Some girls by his right hooted slightly, but their negative welcome was drowned by the exploding cheers of the nice followers. Baekhyun distracted himself by studying the twins’ reaction and was surprised that they did not regard her any differently. If anything, they looked rather vexed by her presence, as if they could hardly tolerate it as she crossed the ramp with the grace of a model on the catwalk, waving delicately at the sea of fans.

“So, a lot of you’ve been telling me that Rosé and I should do a cover of a love song, for what I’ve seen on Instagram and Twitter”, Chanyeol explained, his boyish smile enchanting them. “After many disagreements about it, we’ve finally decided to do it. You know what they say: ask and you shall receive.”

“Yeol, don’t make yourself look like some hero—Kookie and I made him lose a bet, that’s why he’s doing this”, Jongin interjected, making the lead vocalist splutter while the audience laughed.

“You know he’s a possessive guy and doesn’t like having people drooling over his wifey”, Jungkook chirped jokingly.

Baekhyun sighed, clutching his shirt. It’s okay. It’s time to move on.

Chanyeol was setting another microphone beside his own, Yixing dragging a wood stool for Rosé to sit while Taehyung carried the picturesque acoustic guitar. He deposited it over Chanyeol’s lap once they were ready, making Baekhyun wince when his erstwhile friends, overlooking Taehyung’s suggestive raise of eyebrows, held the candid, passionate stare of lovers. Jisoo was murmuring a soothing something in his ear, but her words were not making any sense for him. He could imagine Kyungsoo and Lisa discerning the irregularities in his outwards, and forced himself to pretend he was not resuscitating the gut-wretching pain from his first heartbreak.

Rosé had another guitar in her possession. She had always been shy but courteous, and grinned like she had been taught the best part of her childhood: not too widely, with her thin lips lifted in a diplomatic, enigmatic curve. “This is When I look at you.”

Baekhyun sardonically chuckled because, yes, only fate was cruel enough to have Chanyeol and Rosé serenating each other with a song he deeply adored.

After that, the night was a blur for him.

* * *

They left the area with the last horde of fans, when the stage was being cleared from the remaining equipment by diligent personnnel. After waiting until the multitude scattered to wander around the ample installations, they scooted closer to each other and sneaked out. Lisa and Jisoo decided then to stop by the bathroom before they all set to follow Yixing’s instructions to recover the cellphone.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun scoped the panorama as they idled by a lonely cement bench, hunting any friendly-looking security guard. The young boy was exhausted, Baekhyun had come to notice, as he could not stand up straight longer than five minutes. He combed his brother’s red bangs with his fingers, scrapping slightly as Kyungsoo yawned, fruitlessly trying to tame his hair.

“Did you have fun, hyung? I mean... you are okay, aren’t you?” Kyungsoo uttered sleepily, forcing Baekhyun to halt his motions by hooking his fingers around his wrist. Baekhyun perceived the nervous tilt in his voice, an odd occurrence in Kyungsoo, and smiled with affection, ruffling his hair.

“Of course. I always have fun when I’m with you guys, Kyungsoo. I’m more than okay.”

His little brother snickered, resting his weight on him. “Good... But I think you should find friends of your age, hyung. People will think badly of you if you keep hanging with us.”

Baekhyun recalled their rocky infancy, with adults and kids marginalizing them on daily basis, and shook his head slowly. As if I would ever get tired of you. “Let them think whatever they want. I wouldn’t trade you both for anything in the world—my life would be boring without looking after you.”

“What does that say about you, hm?”

“Who cares?”

A pause, and then Kyungsoo quietly supplied. “We aren’t babies anymore. We can take care of ourselves well, hyung. Please, hyung, don’t forget that.”

Baekhyun hummed, looking rather proud albeit being a bit nostalgic about it. “I know. Don’t worry.”

The girls were animatedly chattering about their new concert experience when they joined them, fussing over the charming youngesters of the band—Lisa expressed she was thrilled with the results, delighted about the fact that Jisoo was replacing his puppy love for Jinyoung with a strong celebrity crush on the ever charming Taehyung. Jisoo denied her assumptions, but the brighter shine in her eyes betrayed and rosiest cheeks her words.

Baekhyun slipped through thin lines of people, a great part commenting how amazing was the concert while the other walked out like mindless zombies, overtaxed by the rush. He could symphatize with them; Rosé and Chanyeol’s hurtful performance aside, the concert had been one of a kind. Really extraordinary.

He tapped a bulky man’s shoulder under an metallic arch as the remains of the human mass was filtered. The man took them to the other side of the arena after hearing what they needed, bringing them inside an emergency exit and leading them through a labyrinth of narrow passageways. They appeared in a small, more private parking lot, where another haired man, who was supposedly entrusted with the sought cellphone, awaited for them.

They spent around fifteen minutes listening to a chirpy Jisoo answering questions regarding her list of contacts, apps and other trivialities that all but grazed the privacy invasion sphere. At the end, the security team examined the unblemished features of the twins to corroborate their identities, constantly checking the selfies and hundred photos stored in Jisoo’s gallery, and nodded.

“You were at the front line, right?” A white-haired man asked once again as one of his colleagues made a call.

Kyungsoo looked beyond bothered at that point, for they had yet to return Jisoo’s cellphone even after everything she had shared to prove that it was indeed hers. Luckily for them, Lisa improvised a dialogue with him whenever she detected a sour insult boiling in his mouth, so the evident inefficacy would not end in a worse outcome because of Kyungsoo’s impatient mood.

“Kyungsoo-ah, I think there is something in my eye. Help me out?” Lisa spoke up, rescuing the situation.

“Yes, we were. We’re sorry about what happened”, Baekhyun repeated to the man. The men continued their odd exchange of indications, through secret gestures and hushed words, and Baekhyun lost the last grain of patience when another five minutes transpired. “Excuse me, but could you hand over the Iphone now? It’s getting late for us and we still have to get home. I could fill a report against you for this, you know? I know my rights.”

“Could you abide with us for a bit? Our supervisor is coming here so you can sign some papers—just a formal procedure. It’ll be fast”, the guard replied, not minding his scowl or the exasperated groaning from the teenagers.

His partner was not as friendly. “Besides, nobody asked you to hurl it at the stage.”

Baekhyun wished to retort, if you had been doing well your freaking job, my sister wouldn’t have been brusquely pushed ahead, but kept mum.

The teenagers complied, although begrudgingly. An apologetic guard offered them cold drinks while they bore the delay and Baekhyun was the only who declined. He sat back and watched Lisa, Jisoo and Kyungsoo compete by quaffing down their vitamin juices, Jisoo screeching when Lisa rose her arm in victory and Kyungsoo coughed until his face was flushed completely. He wore a tiny grin as his almod eyes tentatively evaluated the last text messages in his chat with Sehun, who assured him he was about ten minutes from their current location and would be joining them soon. Baekhyun hoped he arrived after the incovenient encounter with whoever they were expecting, or Sehun would revile the poor soul mercilessly otherwise.

Ten minutes later, Lisa was demostrating Kyungsoo how to separate his feet in a shoulder width, reminding him about the importance of balance while shooting, and they prepared themselves for tossing the bottles in a trash, as if they were playing basketball. Jisoo had opted to stay with him, intoning the melody of Super Trouper to spur Baekhyun to team up with her, both of them perched in a tall jardiniére while observing the inventive pair. They heard the murmur of a motor nigh and raised their heads, just in time to witness an imposing Grand Carnival being parked a few meters from them, in an vacant spot in the almost empty lot.

Baekhyun shrugged, taking Jisoo’s small palm to draw figures on it.

“Tonight the Super Trouper lights are gonna find me, shining like the Sun”, she sang, her eyelashes fluttering as she cherished the ticklish feeling of Baekhyun’s fingertips.

“Smiling, having fun, feeling like the number one”, Baekhyun continued.

Jisoo beamed, sets of footsteps stealing briefly her attention. “Tonight the Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me, but I won’t feel blue...”

“Like I always do—”, a presence towered over them and he frowned when he caught a whisk of a foreing perfume close, rich and strong, which had his intrigued gaze drifting towards it, “‘cause somewhere in the crowd there’s—”, he blinked, clearly taken aback, his calm expression morphing into a terrified one as his steady voice went off pich, “—you.”

“Baekhyun...” Chanyeol greeted him in a mumble, his big hands twitching eagerly at the end of limp arms, as if he were fighting the impulse to scop him in an embrace because he knew it would be extremely improper.

Instead, he submited a shy grin. If Baekhyun had been astonished when he admired him before, with a considerable gap of ten-meters or so between them, he was utterly mind-blown now, sharing oxygen with him. Chanyeol had showered, since he did not reek of sweat but of soap, and was neatly dressed in a comfortable hoodie and sweatpants.

Baekhyun thought about the crumbled shirt inside his small bag, as well as the wet patches on his back, mentally grimacing at how he was drenched in sweat when they left the arena.

They seemed so different and it was so awkward.

Chanyeol rubbed his nape as the stillnes prevailed, an nervous habit he had not grown out of. “Your voice has gotten really nice... I almost doubted it was you. I’m so glad you came, it’s been so long since we last saw each other... Did you receive my package? I wrote my number in the back of—hey, Baek, are you alright?”

He cleared his throat, coming back to his whole faculties. “Yes, I’m fine... I’m just surprised. It’s nice to meet you again, Chanyeol-sshi. It’s been a long time indeed. I see these years have been generous with you.”

Baekhyun gripped Jisoo’s hand tighter and thrusted an uneasy look in her direction, missing how Chanyeol’s prying eyes zoomed on their small link, absolutely beguiled by their platonic intimacy. Jisoo bowed to Chanyeol with an unsure yet thoughtful smile, and coaxed his older brother to get down from the ceramic platform as she searched around for her twin. She became speechless when Jongin and Jungkook, closely tailed by a lost-looking Yixing, circled a bewildered Kyungsoo and a flabbergasted Lisa, and openly gawped when Taehyung threw himself over Chanyeol, peeping to study Baekhyun and her.

“Hey, you’re the girl from the photo. So Dragon Ball, eh?” Taehyung pointed out mirthfully, the hood of his pullover falling down when he abruptly stepped ahead, curious eyes suddenly aware and chivalrious. “You’re really cute.”

“I’m sorry, but—uh, what is the meaning of this?” Jisoo wondered, pretty eyes beholding the unexpected sight in awe. If she denied being star-struck before, now it was obvious she would not shut up about Taehyung in a long time.

Baekhyun, out of instinct, moved her behind himself, watchful of the active, seemingly interested young man. One cannot be fully trustful of famous young men, he reminded himself.

“I received your phone from the staff and I couldn’t help looking at it, Jisoo-ah. You’ve grown up to be a beautiful lady...”, Roseanne’s melodious cadence attracted their attention. She was wearing a sporty set of clothes, looking striking in her homely outift. A combo of an apprehensive blush and toying hands betrayed her nerves. “I’m sorry for all the trouble caused... but, look at the positive side: this is a quite impressive reunion, isn’t it?”

Baekhyun helplessly stared as Roseanne officially introduced her twin siblings to the band of her beloved husband, which earned her a share of timid, well-mannered responses as they gathered enough self-possession to freely converse with the down-to-Earth members. It all happened in a blur, with Baekhyun merely standing in the sidelines, jaw unhinging itself and fuzzy brain going overbroad.

He felt a big, tender hand on his shoulder, but dismissed it rudely with a shrug. He wanted to go—he needed to mop inside the safety of his familiar bedroom, with his cats as his companions, and belittle himself for his current display of weakness, which prevented him from bravely confronting Park Chanyeol. However, it seemed Chanyeol was still as oblivious and unwise as ever, for he delved into an awkward monologue about his plentiful experiences from the past weeks, most of them revolving around the fact that so much had changed in the city after he left. He was wonderstruck by the new neighborhood built downtown, all luxurious and exclusive, raised from the ashes of a hopeless, abandoned territory.

There was weighty melancholia dragging the syllabes of his speech. That old, once deemed barren place had witnessed a lot of adventures from the former partners in crime. Baekhyun was slightly hurt when it was occupied by the construction team, but would never admit it out loud. Much less to Chanyeol.

Not that Baekhyun would ever care. Not again.

“Oppa! Look, aren’t we pretty?” Lisa assaulted them, shoving her cellphone on Baekhyun’s nose, an annoying habit she had started to pick from Jisoo.

Baekhyun petted her crown and checked what was being showed to him. Lisa had convinced the mischiveous pair of Jungkook and Taehyung to take a silly selfie with her, and she was right when she said they looked good in it. He congratulated her for it, just like a proud parent would do to an expecting kid, and she grinned cheekily before hopping away to speak with the pair.

“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol called him and he soundedd more resigned than before. A part of Baekhyun was glad he was finally understanding the harsh indirects, but another felt guilty and immature, and wished to confront the despondent giant.

Baekhyun’s cellphone buzzed then, saving him from a bad decision and a subsequent stupid mistake. He hummed to acknowledge Chanyeol’s prodding, but was utterly distracted by Sehun announcing that he would be joining them in a minute. Baekhyun rapidly locked the screen and searched for the younger ones to get going, trying to overlook the painful tugging at his heart strings when Rosé drapped herself around a defeated-looking Chanyeol.

He found the twins a feet meters at his right. Jisoo was trying to convince Kyungsoo to let Jongin hug him for a picture, and his brother looked murderously exasperated.

“Come on, Kyunggie!” Jisoo pleaded and her twin shook his head, penetrating glare being directed at her. The timid-looking drummer rubbed his nape, unsure of how to pose without molesting the apparently feisty guy. Jisoo was not having any of that, though. “Kyungsoo, give this opportunity more credit. Jongin-sshi here is Kris’ favorite member, isn’t him? Kris screwed his chance to court you by being an major jerk. Hence, this the ideal dose of inoffensive revenge. It’s fit for a passive-agressive demon like yourself.”

“I’m not a child anymore, Jisoo. I just want a simple picture—Jongin-sshi doesn’t need to do anything drastic. We won’t force him.”

“Oh, please! A hug isn’t anything drastic”, Jisoo frowned, looking a bit wearily at Jongin. Baekhyun pitied him. “Or, do you have a problem with my baby brother hugging? Or liking boys for the matter, uh? That’s why won’t let him touch you, right?”

“We are less than a minute apart, stop calling me baby—” Kyungsoo’s eye twitched.

Jongin was all sorts of flustered. “No, of course not, I’m flexible myself’—”

“Good”, Jisoo nodded, shaking her phone. “So, would you grant us with a dovey-lovey picture, please?”

“Cut it out, Jisoo”, Baekhyun warned, finally regaining a bit of lucidity. They needed to go. “If Kyungsoo doesn’t want to do it, you know better than to force it. Wrap up and get ready, our ride back home is comming.”

Jisoo pouted. “But oppa...”

Rosé interjected, “we could take you back, Baekhyun. It’s not a problem.”

“We wouldn’t like to impose... besides, it’s a good friend of mine who has gone all the way here to fetch us, so I wouldn’t like to have been so bothersome for nothing”, Baekhyun chuckled anxiously and then looked at Kyungsoo, and his whole deamanor softened. “And, just so you know, Soo—I do think it would do something good to that Yifan’s ego to see you in the arms of his bias. I mean, if Jongin-sshi is up to the favor.”

“Hyung!” Kyungsoo stared, mortified, while Jisoo ran to embrace her older brother.

“The jerk has been toying with baby brother’s feelings for months, almost a year”, Jisoo supplied to the amused Jongin. Jisoo rested her head on Baekhyun’s shoulder, dreamy smile plastered in her lovely mien. “You’re our last resource to make him realize Kyungsoo isn’t some plaything! Right, Baek-oppa?”

Kyungsoo face-palmed himself. “Jisoo, damn it!”

“Kyungsoo, language”, Baekhyun chastised him.

“You’ll thank me later!”, Jisoo promised, distangling herself from her brother’s warmth, who was chuckling in both distress and amusement. She kissed his cheek and jogged back to Kyungsoo. “Thank you, Baek-oppa! You’re the best!”

“You are like a mother hen”, Chanyeol commented by his side and Baekhyun flinched. He was too close. Roseanne was by her husband’s arm, looking sadly at her adopted brother. “So, Hyun... how things have been going for you?”

He decided to be more objective than before. “Good”, he answered crisply, curling his fingers nervously. “I’m actually—”

“He’s my most trusted colleague and friend, and this two pair of troublemakers’ babysitter most of the time”, Jennie’s unmistakable voice affirmed. She was stading in a set of pajmas with Sehun behind her. Baekhyun’s mouth went dry, tough he felt strangely protected. “Though I’d have expected him to tell me he would be coming here.”

Roseanne cleared her throat anxiously. “Jen...”

Jennie furiously shook her head as she avoided her to grasp Baekhyun’s arm. He let himself be dragged away, murmuring apologies under his breath for his beloved sister. “I don’t want to hear you, Rosé, so save it. Jisoo, Kyungsoo, Lisa... let’s go. A car is waiting for us”, she paused to look at the rest of the band and simply nodded, her powerful eyes conveying million messages with a single look. “Gentlemen, good night.”

Jisoo had always despised tense atmospheres, pretty much like Baekhyun, and she looked ready to rebell against it. But Baekhyun caressed her nape and pushed him against his collarbones to silence her. Sehun enveloped the other two in a guarded embrace and dragged them along, but neither Lisa nor Kyungsoo fought to break free.

They were escorted out, climbinng into Jennie’s favorite Cadillac, an oil-black XT5, in a deadly silence. Baekhyun had not courage left to look back from his seat and see Chanyeol’s expression.

“You two are grounded for the next couple of weeks”, Jennie threw a look at her siblings and then watched Baekhyun closely. He could not read her countenance. “You’ll better have a good explanation, Baek, because I won’t tolerate this so easily.”

* * *

The weekend was not as catatonic as Baekhyun had foreboded. Of course, Jennie provided an three-page list (with no space between lines and 10-size letter) of trivial and rather annoying tasks, like visiting twenty different pet stores around the city to buy her a female beta with the specified colors she wanted, or driving to Incheon airport and asking the entire staff from Lotte Duty Free for some limited-edition shop-bag she swore she had seen a week ago, or accompanying the twins—and poor, harmless Lisa who was trapped in this senseless family drama—to get shots they woud need in case of traveling to Africa or around the Caribbean sea.

“I’m booking a suite in the Seven Seas Explorer as soon as we arrive home. Seokjin-oppa gave me Jennie’s personal card-number and Sandara-eonnie has a very close relationship with the executive management of RSS Cruises, so this isn’t going to be some useless admonishment”, Jisoo promised with tearful eyes as Baekhyun took the black X3 out of the parking lot. Kyungsoo sat nonchalant by her side, with his lips tightly pressed together, as Lisa whined in the passenger seat and kept changing the songs in her Iphone. “Did you hear, guys? I’ll make sure we’ll be having an well-deserved winter break in the Caribbean. And perhaps a good spring in the Mediterranean and a summer break in Europe, too, if I can schedule the trips accordingly to school activities.”

“Don’t give Jennie more reasons to punish you, Jisoo”, Baekhyun tutted, shaking his head as the green light shone with Lorde opportunely singing I wait it for it.

Lisa grimaced, rubbing the sore spot where the needle had broken—because, yes, she had been that tense. “I don’t know if I’m risking it this time, Soo-eonnie—although Greece was fantastic, I’m getting scared of Jennie’s whims. What’s she going to do next?”

“No, don’t yield in, this is exactly what she wants!” Jisoo encouraged them rather fearlessly. She looked a little crazy with her silk pink pajama top—because she had fought until the very last minute to stay in her bed—under her Tommy alpaca blend cardigan. “We’ll be doomed if she wins. She’ll have the upper-hand.”

Kyungsoo gave her a judgmental look, adjusting his sweater with a huff. “Jennie already has the upper-hand. She’ll send us to a forsaken boarding school in Russia if you keep this up—and not only us, but Lisa is included as well in the threat”, he reminded her candidly.

“I’m really happy where we are, Soo-eonnie”, Lisa pleaded. “Russian winters are merciless...”

Baekhyun sighed and decided to speak befoe Jisoo could persuade them that Moscow was a good place to start over, “let’s drop by Gateux de Voyage, guys. I’m craving some good pastries”, he proposed to the youngesters, who agreed wholeheartedly and forgot the topic of touring around to rile Jennie up for the moment.

It had been a fortune everything had remained so calm. But Baekhyun should have expected Chanyeol to disturb the peace sooner than later. It was unavoidable.

“Jisoo, you’re not getting off the car. I can perfectly see your tits through the material of the pajama—you know the owner doesn’t like exhibitionism”, Kyungsoo warned her once their brother had parked. Baekhyun was giving Lisa her Mexican handmade purse when Jisoo purpusefully overheard Kyungsoo and yanked the door open, jumping gingerly out. Her twin brother cursed out loud and rushed after her, leaving Lisa and Baekhyun sighing in contempt.

“Sorry, oppa”, Lisa giggled at last, back to her hyped-up personality. “We’ll pay your dessert, I promise.”

They found Jisoo half-hidding with a deep blush behind Kyungsoo, whose back was a hard as a tree spine. In front of them, as a great surprise to Baekhyun’s utter dismay, stood Junmyeon, Chanyeol and Jungkook, all in black and white. They were telling Kyungsoo something, but the distance prevented him from listening properly. Not that Baekhyun was honestly interested in whatever they were discussing—he was absolutely done with Park Chanyeol.

Or, at least, he was getting there.

“Ah, Baekhyun!” Junmyeon’s greeting was effusive and kind, and Baekhyun should have seen the sweeping hug coming. He counted to ten before removing himself from the foreing arms.“I was just asking Kyungsoo-ah if you were up to a tea afternoon back in my house. As a matter of fact, the band is staying there for the mean time—it’s an ideal ocassion to catch up. Do you remember where my grandparents used to reside before moving to Spain, don’t you?”

Baekhyun observed him, then looked at the fidgeting Jungkook and quiet Chanyeol blankly. He had no idea how to politely reject the offer, when his brain was too tired to think of a credible excuse, when Chanyeol was looking at him as if he had seen a ghost and Baekhyun did not know how he should approach him.

“As I was saying, we have a school project to finish. Baekhyun-hyung was just driving us around to gather materials. We came here for a snack”, Kyungsoo saved the situation with an unhappy glare and even tone, scowling at Junmyeon for some unknown reason. “We’re sorry, but we must decline your offer.”

Jisoo clinged to Baekhyun’s arms to cover herself more; she was also wearing lycra shorts she used both for running and sleeping, and even if she was shameless when it came to strangers, she could get severly shy in presence of people who knew her personally. Lisa shrugged her winter coat off and handed it discreetly, accepting Jisoo’s cardigan in return.

“And, that’s a shame”, Junnmyeon shrugged with a tiny, well-composed smile. “Maybe later this week?”

“I’m not sure if the message wasn’t clear, but Jennie doesn’t want us close to any of you... and what the lady boss wants, the lady boss gets”, he gently pushed the teenagers ahead, not minding the tension he provoked with his comment. “Excuse us.”

This time around, he did risk a gander behind. The lonely look on Chanyeol’s face as he followed Junmyeon towards their car caught him off guard. He could not understand it.

“Baek-oppa?” Jisoo called, holding the crystal door for him. He was frozen in the middle of the bustling street, eyes still blown wide, mind trekking through faraway paths. He was startled by the concern in his little sister’s face, or the great surprise and clear disdain worn by Lisa and Kyungsoo respectively. “Are you alright?”

Baekhyun nodded resolutely. “I’ll be. I promise.”

_I promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title comes from The 1975's The Sound. Thank you for reading!


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